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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

Today’s Reflection

FOR MOST OF my life, I thought that God loved me. The key word is thought. Intellectually, I knew that God loved me, but my heart didn’t believe it. Not really. I didn’t feel God’s love. I didn’t trust it. I didn’t feel worthy of it. My pain and childhood trauma led me to believe that God must not care much about me. I know I’m not alone. Many of us who talk a good game when it comes to God’s love for us don’t believe at our core that we are God’s beloved. I think doubting God’s love is part of the human condition; so many feel unworthy of it. Still, whether we believe it or not, we are God’s beloved. Deep within us, down deep in our soul, we know this truth. But time, experience, culture, trauma, and other factors slowly cause us to disconnect from this truth and forget who we are. The further we get from our core truth, the more we live as people who are unloved, succumbing to addiction, self-loathing, suicide, prejudice, bullying, gun violence, war, ecological destruction, and so on. That’s why this journey is so critical. Our world is desperate to know it is beloved, but that will happen only one person at a time. In other words, this journey begins with us. Once we know we are beloved, we can help others recognize their belovedness.

—Kristen E. Vincent, We Are Beloved: A Lenten Journey with Protestant Prayer Beads (Upper Room Books, 2019)

Today’s Question

Have you ever found it difficult to feel beloved by God?  Share your thoughts.

Today’s Scripture

“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.”
—1 John 3:1a (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

I love you, Lord.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room or share it in the comment section.

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Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

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10 Comments

  • Robert Moeller Posted October 7, 2019 6:25 am

    Feeling beloved by God, I think that has taken a long time, if in fact my heart recognizes that. I believe I have felt God’s presence. I accept the truth that God is always with us. I know God has helped and is helping me on my faith journey.

    Thankful for church, communion, and apple picking. Face timed with my daughter and granddaughters yesterday.

    Hopefully a nice walk today, temps are cooling off, had a hard frost yesterday.

    God’s healing and peace to all of you, you are in my prayers.

  • John Marshall Posted October 7, 2019 7:29 am

    I have. suffered throughout my adult years both physically, mentally, and financially. I have many blessings, but I feel like I am cobstantly being punished by God, or at least He allows me to be persecuted. To give you an example, I tried to prove out Malicai 3:10. I faithfully tithed 10% of my income for the last 15 years. Since then I have basically been broke. And I can honestly say the devourer has not been rebuked for my sake!

  • Julie Posted October 7, 2019 8:12 am

    I echo Robert and John, in that I know intellectually what the Bible says about God’s love for me, but it is not real to me. I do not feel loved, by God or anyone. I have suffered much through life, some due to my own choices gone awry but many more from circumstances beyond my control. I kkknow God is with me through my suffering, but I don’t feel Him.
    Prayers for Robert and his physical health, may he be able to walk in nature today as I know he gains much from this.
    Prayers for John and his suffering.
    Prayers for Jill and Larry, may they continue to share and continue to support one another with love and understanding.
    Prayers for Mary and Molly, may their aunt recover quickly from her pacemaker implantation operation.
    Prayers, blessings, warm hugs and thank you dear UR faithful

    • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted October 7, 2019 11:12 pm

      Thanks Julie for your prayers!

      May all your needs be met and may God bless you abundantly!

  • Bj Posted October 7, 2019 10:23 am

    Good morning UR family? “How Great Thou Art” God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. I had to think once upon a time about that 10%. Even though it is written in the old testament, back in them days, people didn’t have money like they do now. To say that, I think they gave the 10% of their time, harvest, or perhaps the tenth of whatever they possessed. We have to search our hearts and be willing to give whatever. Some people might wanna give more than a tenth per

  • Bj Posted October 7, 2019 10:23 am

    The last word should have said percent.

  • Andrea Posted October 7, 2019 11:02 am

    I have had times where I did not feel God’s love, times when I have been very hard on myself. Thankfully with age, those times are less frequent and intense. I believe we all make mistakes. That does not make us less lovable, rather, I believe, it brings us closer to God’s love and forgiveness.

    I am thankful for safe travels and a return to beautiful Minnesota fall weather and to my daughter, son-in-law and grandson.

    Prayers for dear UR friends and visitors and those for whom you pray. rushing all a blessed day.

    • Andrea Posted October 7, 2019 11:04 am

      *Wishing* all a blessed day.

  • Mary Ng Shwu Ling Posted October 7, 2019 11:10 pm

    Indeed, we are God’s beloved!

    Blessings!

  • Jill Posted October 8, 2019 3:27 am

    It tears at my heart to hear those who post here say they do not feel God’s love. I am deeply, deeply sorry for this. Julie, especially, I so wish you could experience His love – for what comfort it would bring to you. John – I am sorry for this discouragement – I want to say “He is faithful” – but I recognize those words may sound like nails on a chalkboard.
    It hurt me deeply when mom sunk so far, saying God was punishing her and that her prayers never got higher than the ceiling. I can’t imagine having that feeling. What deep sorrow. I pray that no matter what God permits into my life – that I will never have that feeling. What a dark, sorrowful place.
    Father, I boldly ask that You make Your belovedness experientially real to us, especially those who have not sensed it. Oh Father – that void – fill it wondrously as only You can. Please, Father.

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