God is Merciful

In today's reading, God tells Abraham that he will spare the city of Sodom if there are only ten innocent people. "For the sake of those ten, I will not destroy it." (Genesis 18:32)

This reading today reminds me of the times that others have told me that God would have sent his Son to die on the Cross even if I was the only one here on earth. God loves me, and each one of us this much!

For so long I have struggled to believe this Truth. I thought if I am unlovable; if there is something about me that causes others to abuse me, abandon me, wish I had never been born, then why would God love me and be willing to send his Son to die for me? But I had it all wrong. No matter what others think of me or what things have been done to me, I am not damaged goods. For so long I have felt alone. I thought that no one can understand what I have been through or can understand why I struggle to believe that God loves me; that I am precious in His eyes. But these words from Psalm 73:23, "I was always in your presence, you were holding me by my right hand. You will guide me by your counsel and so you will lead me to glory," remind me that God has always been with me. He has always loved me and he knows every detail of what I have been through. He held my hand, and at times he carried me because I could no longer stand. He continues to guide me especially during the times that I seek to know that his love for me is real and that he will never forsake me.

I cling to you words, Lord. I remind myself that I was made in your image and your likeness (Genesis 1:26). I pray for the grace of an open heart to receive your love for me.

Heavenly Father,
I know that you love me and no matter what I do, your love for me will never change. I know this in my head, but I don't always know it in my heart. Help me to feel your love deep in my soul. The lies of my past continue to haunt me, allowing doubt and fear to consume me at times.
Give me the strength to be a warrior against the devil; to put on my armor of Truth and fight against these demons that refuse to let me go. They know how to trip me up and send me crashing into this sea of self-hatred, doubt and sin. "He reached down from on high and seized me; drew me out of the deep waters... he rescued me because he loves me" (Psalm 18:17, 20).