So Much Love

Read: Romans 5:6-11

Oh no! Poor little bird! Aelin thought when she noticed a bird fluttering around in the grass. It’s hurt. I think it has a broken wing. Maybe I can help it. She picked up her butterfly net and tried to catch the bird, moving slowly and quietly toward it. But each time she got close, it flapped its wings and wiggled out of her reach. The bird led her to the front of the house. Just when she thought she could catch it, the bird flew up and perched on a power line high above her. Aelin was surprised. That bird can fly! Why was it acting like its wing was hurt? She ran into the house to ask her mom about it.

Mom smiled when she heard Aelin’s story. “There’s a nest with baby birds in the maple tree out back,” she said. “I think that must have been the mother bird, and she wanted to lead you away from her babies.”

“But wasn’t she afraid I’d catch her?” Aelin asked.

“Maybe, but she’d rather have you come after her than get too close to her family.” Mom smiled at Aelin and gave her a hug. “She’s a good mother, isn’t she? Parents who love their children that much would do almost anything to keep them safe.”

“Wow!” Aelin said. “I guess we don’t think about that very often.”

“What’s even better is that someone loves us more than parents do,” said Mom. “Someone actually died for us!”

Aelin smiled. “You mean Jesus, don’t you?”

Mom nodded. “He willingly gave His life for us so we could have our sins forgiven and live with Him forever. We know that, but we don’t often think about how much love it took. It makes me feel good to think someone loves me that much.”

“Me too,” said Aelin.

When Aelin went back outside to play, she heard baby birds chirping way up in the tree. “Your mother loves you,” she called to them, “but Jesus loves me even more!”

–Karen Cogan

How about you? Do you realize how much Jesus loves you? He loves you so much that He came down to earth and suffered and died on the cross so that you could be saved from sin and have eternal life with Him. Have you responded to His great love by trusting Him as your Savior? If not, trust in Him today! (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today’s key verse: We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. 1 John 3:16 (NLT)

Today’s key thought: Jesus loves you