Two little children sat on the stairs. They were learning by heart the sixteenth verse of the third chapter of John's gospel: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." They had been given the task of learning it, and as they said it over and over together, the little boy of four said to his sister, nearly three years older, " What does ' so loved' mean? Why does it say 'so loved '? "
The little girl put her arms around her brother's neck, and kissing him, said, "Now that shows you I love you." Then she went on embracing him most affectionately, and kissing him over and over again. "Now," she said, "that shows you that I so love you."
“For God so loved." And a girl of seven can understand what it is to be loved, and can find a way of explaining to a little brother what it is to be so loved. There may be much for you to learn, hard sums at school, puzzling ways of spelling words, but a little child knows when it is loved. Even a baby can know that it is being held by someone who cares for it, nursed in affection, held close in love.
Do you know that you are loved, loved by God? "God so loved that He gave." Have you ever tried to find out a present to give to someone you love? How hard it can be to choose the suitable gift, the one that shows that you care, the one that expresses the love you feel. Even when you've thought of what seems best you may not have enough money to buy it. But God has given in love. "God so loved that He gave." And what a Gift Do you know of the Gift, God's own -Gift, a Gift worthy of the Giver, His own beloved Son to express the greatness of God's love to men, to "whosoever believeth," to you? "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Paul knew that he was loved, and he writes of "the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Can you say that? The Lord Jesus is to be surrounded by those whom He loves, those who love Him, and each one will be able to say, " Who loved me, and gave Himself for me." The woman in Luke 7 will be there, she who "loved much." She had committed many sins, but her Savior had drawn near to her, and she told her love in the tears of repentance, tears enough to wash His feet.
Have you told Him of your repentance? A great preacher, Mr. Spurgeon, was once speaking to children of their need of a Savior. He said: "Some people may think you are too young for me to speak to you in this way; but you are old enough to know that you have sinned, and you are old enough to know that you may die, and you are not too young to know that you need a Savior."
May you know Him as your Savior, know of the great love wherewith He loves, and may you prove the greatness of His forgiving, that it may be said of you, as of that forgiven woman, that you "loved
much."
G. V. S.