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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Jesus Loves Me (Cristo me Ama)


Life has been particularly challenging for me and my family lately. We are holding on to Jesus and knowing He'll never let go of us. His love never fails, not even in our darkest days. 

Today I was reminded of a story I heard about a missionary who was on furlough for health reasons. He still wanted to serve in some way, so he volunteered at a mental hospital once a week. They put him in the worst spot - the locked room with the most severe mental cases. It was a horrible environment. The man had no idea what good he could do. 

Then the Lord whispered to his heart, "Sing Jesus Loves Me." So the man sat down and began to sing. Over and over he sang the little children's song. At the end of an hour, he got up and left. 

After that, every week he would go back into the same room and for an hour, he would sit and sing Jesus Loves Me. Over the weeks, the people in that room began to change. Some started singing along with him. Others were quiet instead of wailing or yelling as they had done before. 

After several months, when the missionary returned to his foreign field of service, almost every person in that room had either been discharged from the hospital in good mental health, or they'd improved enough to be moved back with the more functional patients.

What brought about such a miraculous recovery for those tortured souls? The truth that Jesus loved them. 

Whatever circumstances we face, there is never a time when we don't need to be reminded that Jesus loves us. Perhaps that's why God's Word is so full of His declarations of love for us. Here are a few of my favorite verses about God's love:

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. -Psalm 63:3

The LORD is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. -Psalm 145:13b

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. -Isaiah 54:10

I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. -Jeremiah 31:3b

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:5, 8

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. –Ephesians 3:17b-19

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! -1 John 3:1a


Knowing we are loved by God Himself is as essential to life as the air we breathe. 

I hope you'll take some time today to receive God's love anew. And maybe as you go through this week, the song that will bless you the most will be a simple children's chorus.

Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so. 


Cristo me Ama

La vida ha sido un particular desafío para mí y mi familia últimamente. Estamos agarrándonos de Jesús y sabiendo que él nunca nos suelta. Su amor nunca falla, ni aun en nuestros días más oscuros.

Hoy recordé una historia que escuché acerca de un misionero que estaba de licencia por razones de salud. Todavía quería servir de alguna manera, entonces fue como voluntario a un hospital mental una vez a la semana. Lo pusieron en el peor sitio – la habitación cerrada con llave con los casos mentales más severos. Era un ambiente horrible. El hombre no tenía ni idea que bien podía hacer él.

Entonces el Señor murmuró a su corazón “Canta ‘Cristo me ama’.” Así que el hombre se sentó y comenzó a cantar. Una y otra vez cantó la canción para niños pequeños. Después de una hora se levantó y salió.

Después de eso, cada semana iba a la misma habitación y durante una hora, se sentaba y cantaba “Cristo me ama.” Con el paso de las semanas, la gente en esa habitación empezó a cambiar. Algunos empezaron a cantar con él. Otros se quedaban callados en vez de gemir o gritar como lo habían hecho antes.

Después de varios meses, cuando el misionero regresó a su campo de servicio en el extranjero, casi todas las personas en esa habitación habían sido dadas de alta del hospital con buena salud mental o habían mejorado suficientemente para que los pusieran de nuevo con los pacientes más funcionales.

¿Qué trajo una recuperación tan milagrosa a aquellas almas torturadas? La verdad de que Cristo les amaba.

Cualquier circunstancia que enfrentemos, no hay un tiempo en que no necesitemos que se nos recuerde que Cristo nos ama. Quizá sea por eso que la Palabra de Dios está tan llena de Sus declaraciones de amor para nosotros. Aquí están algunos de mis versículos favoritos acerca del amor de Dios:

Tu amor es mejor que la vida; por eso mis labios te alabarán. -Salmo 63:3

Fiel es el Señor a su palabra y bondadoso en todas sus obras. -Salmo 145:13b

Aunque cambien de lugar las montañas y se tambaleen las colinas, no cambiará mi fiel amor por ti ni vacilará mi pacto de paz, —dice el Señor, que de ti se compadece—. -Isaías 54:10

Con amor eterno te he amado; por eso te sigo con fidelidad, -Jeremías 31:3b 

Y esta esperanza no nos defrauda, porque Dios ha derramado su amor en nuestro corazón por el Espíritu Santo que nos ha dado.
Pero Dios demuestra su amor por nosotros en esto: en que cuando todavía éramos pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros. -Romanos 5:5, 8

Y pido que, arraigados y cimentados en amor, puedan comprender, junto con todos los santos, cuán ancho y largo, alto y profundo es el amor de Cristo; en fin, que conozcan ese amor que sobrepasa nuestro conocimiento, para que sean llenos de la plenitud de Dios. -Efesios 3:17b-19

¡Fíjense qué gran amor nos ha dado el Padre, que se nos llame hijos de Dios! ¡Y lo somos! -1 Juan 3:1a


Saber que somos amados por Dios mismo es tan esencial para la vida como el aire que respiramos.

Confío en que tomarás algo de tiempo hoy para recibir el amor de Dios renovado. y tal vez mientras pasas esta semana, la canción que más te bendecirá será un sencillo coro para niños.

Sí, Cristo me ama.
Sí, Cristo me ama.
Sí, Cristo me ama,
La Biblia dice así.

3 comments:

Nellie's Cozy Place said...

Hi Joanna,
Loved that story about the missionary
singing..........what wonderful results
and it is so true that we so many times do need to hear that Jesus loves us
over and over again, cause we have an
enemy who is always trying to tell us
the opposite of that.
This was a great post sweetie,
Hope you are doing well.
We are sure having a ball with our
lil darling grand daughter, she has
brought even more and more joy to our household for sure.
Take care Hon,
Love and Blessings Galore,
Nellie

Joanna K. Harris said...

Thanks Nellie!
I'm so glad you have a precious granddaughter to light up your life! =)
I appreciate your grateful heart and kindness to others. Thanks for being a blessing! =)
Sending love & hugs back at ya,
-Joanna

Anonymous said...

That was just beautiful! "Jesus loves me" And He does.
Sometimes in the midst of darkness it's hard to remember or feel His love. Sometimes our hearts get harden with hard times. But if we just let ourselves remember that Jesus loved us... If we let ourselves feel it, everything changes.

There is a verse in the Book of Mormon that I love that says " My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh."

He did. So much love I can't put into words. I am glad you feel it too.

Iuki Carvalho