| We never lose our place on God's whoever list! ~ Max Lucado (Amen! Thank you, Lord!)   Editor's Note: It's #john316day! Text it. Post it. Tweet it. Say it to someone today: 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.
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Finally, if you're not signed up for Max Lucado's 3:16 OBS, there's still time! We get started in just 5 days, so don't wait another minute! Join today to get the John 3:16 art prints, access to Max's videos, and other freebies! We pray that you are blessed by today's exclusive excerpt...  God's Whoever Policy by Max Lucado, author, 3:16 The Numbers of Hope
Sometimes I detect my favorite fragrance wafting from the kitchen: strawberry cake. I follow the smell like a bird dog follows a trail until I'm standing over the just-baked, just-iced pan of pure pleasure.
Yet I've learned to still my fork until Denalyn gives clearance. "Who is it for?" I ask. She might break my heart. "It's for a birthday party, Max. Don't touch it!" Or, "For a friend. Stay away." Or she might throw open the door of delight. "Whoever." And since I qualify as a "whoever," I dig in.
Thankfully for us, God's gospel includes a "whoever" policy that's always open for business.
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.—John 3:16 NIV, emphasis mine
Whoever unfurls 3:16 as a banner for the ages. Whoever unrolls the welcome mat of Heaven to humanity. Whoever invites the world to God.
Jesus could have so easily narrowed the scope, changing whoever into whatever. "Whatever Jew believes" or "Whatever woman follows me." But He used no qualifier. The pronoun is wonderfully indefinite. After all, who isn't a whoever?
The word sledgehammers racial fences and dynamites social classes. It bypasses gender borders and surpasses ancient traditions. Whoever makes it clear: God exports His grace worldwide. For those who attempt to restrict it, Jesus has a word: Whoever.
Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge Him before my Father in Heaven.—Matthew 10:32
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.—Matthew 10:39
Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.—Mark 3:35
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.—Mark 16:16
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.—John 3:36
Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.—John 4:14
Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.—John 6:37
Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die.—John 11:26
Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.—Revelation 22:17
The downturns of life can create such a sad state of affairs that we wonder if God still wants us.
But God's "whoever" policy has a "however" benefit. Just ask Lazarus, the street sleeper with dogs licking his sores. There's no need to clean up or climb up. Just look up. God takes you however He finds you.
This policy also features a "whenever" clause. Whenever you hear God's voice, He welcomes your response. Sometimes we think the invitation has expired. We've waited too long. But just ask the last-minute vineyard workers in Jesus' parable who were paid the same wages as the all-day workers: God offers eleventh-hour grace.
We may struggle with such a thought. A last-minute confessor receives the same grace as a lifetime servant? Doesn't seem fair. But request grace with your dying breath, and God hears your prayer. Whoever means "whenever."And there's one more clause: whoever means "wherever."
Wherever you are, you're not too far to come home. Just ask the prodigal son.
We may lose sobriety, solvency, and sanity. We may lose jobs and chances, youth and vigor, idealism and dreams. But we never lose our place on God's "whoever" list. Excerpted with permission from Jesus by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.
Your Turn
God's whoever policy is for all of us. Whoever. Whenever. Wherever. You're not too late. You're not too far gone. You're not too much or too little. You're so loved! Join us for the 3:16 The Numbers of Hope Online Bible Study starting March 21st! ~Devotionals Daily Share this devotion with someone who needs it today.
Could you use a dose of hope? When this world is the darkest, God's love shines brightest.
Join bestselling author and Bible teacher Max Lucado to unpack the life-changing promise found in John 3:16! You're invited to join the 3:16 Online Bible Study with Max Lucado and a community of people around the world!  Plus, when you join you'll receive for FREE:
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Sometimes life appears to fall to pieces and can seem irreparable. We've all had our fair share of disappointments, loss, or hardships. But for every challenge there is a breathtaking promise: It's going to be okay. How can we know? Because God so loved the world.
In 3:16, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado encourages us to study closely the "Hope Diamond of the Bible": John 3:16.
Max says of his favorite verse, "Every time I recall these words, they are fresh and as stunning as my first encounter with them. The mind-bending awareness of God's limitless love, his incalculable sacrifice, and the priceless teaching at the core. How can we not review it again and again? I want this generation, and all who come after, to look closely at the key promise of God and choose the gift beyond all gifts."
Throughout this updated and expanded edition of 3:16, Max will invite you to:
If you know nothing of the Bible, start here. John 3:16 invites you to know God's love deeply and intimately. And once you accept God's love, your life will never be the same. If you know everything in the Bible, return here. Let John 3:16 become the banner of your life, so much so that the message of God's unending and unbending love overflows from you to others.
Each copy of 3:16 also includes a 40-day devotional designed to help you draw closer to your loving Savior.
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