When the Father spilled over with affection
And joy
And said of His baptized begotten:
“You are my Beloved Son,”
He didn’t mean that He loved no one else.
He didn’t mean that He had
No love for the world.
Of course not,
“For God so loved the world that He gave ….”
God loves everyone,
But, oh, the love of the Father for the Son!
It is unique and distinct and separate and holy
And wondrous and heart-wrenching and
Gripping and delightful and passionate
And reckless and boundless and glorious.
A mother might love children all over the world,
But not like her own baby.
A father might love young men everywhere,
But not like his only son.
You, in Christ,
Are in the Beloved.
You, Beloved,
Are loved with the same love,
To the same degree,
In the same manner,
To the same extent,
With the same passion,
And with the same delight
As the Father loves the Son.
I bless you to believe it and receive it—
You are His Beloved.