One of the life-changing facts that we learn from the Bible is that the God of all creation Himself values us immensely.

            From the very beginning of the Bible, Genesis 1:27, we are told that “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Out of all of creation, only humans were made in His image. Additionally, mankind was the only part of creation about which the Trinity (The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) conferred. In verse 26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness”. Obviously, no one made in the image of God can be worthless. God values you!

            Also signaling our value to God is Jeremiah 1:5. In this verse, God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” God plays no favorites (Romans 2:11), so we know this is a statement about God’s attention to ALL people, and not an indication of Jeremiah’s special importance. God knew you, even before conception, and formulated a plan for your life!

            Finally, in John 3:16, Jesus himself says, “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Two words in this passage point directly to the scope of God’s love. The first is “world”. God loves the whole world, not just parts of it. Every people group, not just certain ones. And not a single individual is unloved by Him.

            The second word is “whoever”. God does not pick and choose who will be saved. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the sin debt for ANYONE who would believe and follow Him. That was God’s plan, all along. It is not His desire that anyone should go to hell, but that everyone would repent of their sin, and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. (2 Peter 3:9) You are so valuable to God, that Jesus was willing to die for you! Will you choose to LIVE for Him?

Mark Nickles is a husband, father of three, and a pastor in Northeastern Oklahoma. Copyright, Mark A. Nickles.