Handpicked by God

“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” -Zephaniah 3:17 NIV

“He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me...”

Did you ever pick the petals off a flower, one by one, as a game to see if “he” loved you?

As a little girl playing on the playground, I’d always make sure to pick enough flower petals off of enough flowers until I got the answer that I wanted: that he (whoever “he” was that I was crushing on at that particular time) LOVED me. I rigged the answer every single time. If I was left with “he loves me not” and I was holding an empty stem, I’d just pick another flower!

I’m so glad that God always loves me!

I don’t have to play games or try to manipulate circumstances to get the answer I want. I don’t have to perform for His love, strive for it, or even try to force it. And friend, God loves you, too! Just as we picked flowers, God has also picked each of us to be His beloved children. (Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV) He has placed a purpose in our hearts, a plan for our lives, and gifted us with His unconditional love.

Zephaniah 3:17 NIV is a wonderful illustration of God’s love. There are three important things we can learn from this scripture.

1. God is always with us.

God isn’t a hands-off God. He didn’t create us and then abandon us. He’s our Warrior who fights for us. He saved us from eternal separation from Him by sending His son to intercede on our behalf. (Romans 5:8 NIV) God will never leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)

2. God delights in us.

God is a good Father and proud Daddy. His children are the apple of his eye. (Zechariah 2:8 NIV) And our names are inscribed on the palms of His hands. (Isaiah 49:16 NIV)

3. God rejoices over us.

We bring God so much joy not because of anything we do, but simply because of who we are – His children. (Galatians 4:5-7 NIV) There is nothing in this world that you can do to make Him love you any more or any less.

So the next time you see a flower, let it be a reminder that you are handpicked by God. And as you point to each perfect petal, repeat out loud:

“He loves me. He loves me. He loves me.”

- Sandra Elise*

*Originally published by The Round Farmhouse Ministries on their social media platforms in February 2024.