"...His own love..."

Rom. 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

In Biblical days a Jewish bridegroom would pay a bride price to the parents of the bride for the privilege of marrying their daughter. I can imagine that each daughter would hope her parents would receive a large bride price which would make her seem very valuable.

I remember asking my son-in-law, Mike Vickery, how coaches and athletes who received salaries of several million dollars a year would ever spend all that money. His reply was that it wasn't about having all that money to spend but a matter of pride in seeing who could command the greatest price.

The greatest bride price that anyone ever paid, and in fact the greatest price ever paid for any individual, was paid by Jesus Christ when He gave His life in a tortuous, humiliating death on a cruel cross for His bride--the church--us--you and me. Think how highly we are valued and how greatly we are loved by our Heavenly Father and our wonderful Savior!!!

Prayer: Father, thank you for loving and valuing me so much that you gave the most precious Gift anyone could ever give--the life of Your Son--for me. May I remember not only how much you love and value me, but how much you love and value each person that I meet. Amen.