I have and to be honest - the doubt pops it's ugly head up every now and then.
As my husband and I were visiting with Kenny after church one Sabbath, he shared a story that touched my heart. Kenny's Father-in-law was an self claimed atheist. When the family got together for meals and such he would e respectful when people would pray, but really didn't want to ever talk about God or spiritual things.
On day he was talking to Kenny's sister-in-law and he told her that God had spoken to him and that they(God and he) were good. Later when the family got together for a meal, he wanted to pray. What a change in this man!! God had pursued him his entire life and finally won him over. It wasn't too much longer after this meal that he passed away from cancer, but what a comfort it brought to his family to know that he had recognized God speaking to him and that he had responded.
This story reminded me of the story of the Lost Sheep found in Luke 15:1-10 ~ click on link if you would like to read the story.
It also reminded me of another quote - "if there had been but one lost soul, Christ would have died for that one." So I looked it up. Here is the quote with more valuable information.
"As the shepherd loves his sheep, and cannot rest if even one be missing, so, in an infinitely higher degree, does God love every outcast soul. Men may deny the claim of His love, they may wander from Him, they may choose another master; yet they are God's, and He longs to recover His own. He says, "As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out My sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day." Eze. 34:12.
In the parable the shepherd goes out to search for one sheep--the very least that can be numbered. So if there had been but one lost soul, Christ would have died for that one.
The sheep that has strayed from the fold is the most helpless of all creatures. It must be sought for by the shepherd, for it cannot find its way back. So with the soul that has wandered away from God; he is as helpless as the lost sheep, and unless divine love had come to his rescue he could never find his way to God."
Quote from the book "Christ Object Lessons" Chapter 15 click if you would like to read the whole chapter - or even the book. It's free! :)
When you find yourself feeling unloved by God, try to imagine yourself as that one lost sheep- He will come looking for you. Because we have a pursuing God...A God that so loved us that He sent His only Son to save us!
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish,
but that all should come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
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