John 3:16 — 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. 
Did you wonder what prompted yesterday’s piece? Well here it is. John 3:16 is one of my “words of faith”. Verses or portions of scripture that fill up my faith tank.
Words of faith need to be handled with care. There are two things people do that really devalue them and diminish their impact. Let’s get them out of the way and then look at John 3:16.

The first thing people do is to treat words of faith as “magical”. You know — trotting them out as the clichéd response to a predictable situation. It doesn’t work. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” but that doesn’t make it magic! It makes it “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. Words of faith need work!

The other thing that people do is to “skate over” the words. See them as an old friend — valued of course, but taken for granted. Again, words of faith need work.

So as I looked at John 3:16, here is what I was reminded of. I was reminded that it is full of superlatives.

God so loved the world. “God”. There can be no greater lover — and only God could love could love like this.

God so loved the world. “So”. God’s love was the greatest kind of love, the greatest love of all. He paid the highest of prices for the greatest of gifts.

He gave His only begotten Son. His Son, Jesus. He gave His only Son, paying the price that He had not, in the end, required of Abraham. He gave His Son — God in His own right.

He so loved the world that whosoever believeth in Him … He loved every person ever born, without limits. Whosoever …

Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He purchased the greatest of gifts — everlasting life — for that highest price. 

This is how it is for me with words of faith. I can revisit them, meditate on them, see deeper into them or remember what I saw before. Each time I do, my faith tank is refilled. I’m reinvigorated, ready to take up the challenge again. It doesn’t make me a mighty warrior or anything … It makes me ready for another day or so in the trenches. 

Words of faith are priceless. Find yours and hang on to them!