He Loves Me

[Excerpt from the book, "He Loves Me" by Wayne Jacobsen.]

He loves me.
He loves me not.
He loves me.
He loves me not.
The little girl stands in the backyard chanting as she plucks petals one by one from the daisy and drops them to the ground. At game's end, the last petal tells all: whether or not the person desired returns affection.

Of course no one takes it seriously, and if children don't get the answer they desire they take another daisy and start again. It doesn't take long even for children to realize that flowers weren't designed to tell romantic fortunes. Why should they link their hearts' desires to the fickleness of chance?

Why indeed! But it is a lesson far easier learned in romance than in more spiritual pursuits. For long after we've put away our daisies, many of us continue to play this game with God. This time we don't pluck flower petals, but probe through our circumstances trying to figure out exactly how God feels about us.

I got a raise. He loves me.
I didn't get the promotion I wanted, or I lost my job altogether. He loves me not!
Something in the Bible inspired me today. He loves me!
My child is seriously ill. He loves me not!
I gave money to someone in need. He loves me!
I let my anger get the best of me. He loves me not!
Something for which I prayed actually happened. He loves me!
I stretched the truth to get out of a tight spot. He loves me not!
A friend calls me unexpectedly to encourage me. He loves me!
My car needs a new transmission. He loves me not!

[The author has made this entire book available for download in PDF format from this site. The above quote is the beginning of Chapter One. It's about 160 pages long and I recommend reading it to get to the underlying truth if you're struggling with knowing God's love in your life.]