Do you know God loves you? If you answered yes, I do not mean just head knowledge, but do you REALLY know it?
Personally, I have struggled with this in certain situations throughout my walk as a believer. My first response would be to say, “Of course I know God loves me.” I know He does. But my actions often reveal an area of my heart and life that does not truly believe He does. I find myself reacting from a place of identity rooted in my past mistakes and failures rather than from the fact I am known, loved, and forgiven in Christ Jesus.
True and perfect love is a love that is only found in relationship with God through Christ Jesus. It is a love that trusts. When I’m having trouble trusting God, I’m not loving Him completely, and I’m not allowing Him to love me completely.
When I respond to a situation through fear, anger, worry, or discouragement, I can normally trace it to an area of my life where I’m not fully trusting God. I’m not receiving His love in these situations. I’m placing my trust in something or someone else…or perhaps in my own abilities.
As believers not only does God love us, but we are the beloved of God. When we begin to find our belonging, purpose, and worth in who God says we are and in His love for us, it’s life changing!
His love is not dependent upon my feelings or my current perception of a situation. His love is immovable, unshakeable, and certain! God’s unfailing and steadfast love is connected in Scripture with His faithfulness. My feelings or my view at the moment can’t counteract the reality of God’s love for me. He is faithful, even when I am not.
If you need a reminder today that you are loved by God, here just are a few verses to encourage you.
“But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” —Psalm 86:15
“Thus says the Lord…I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. —Jeremiah 31:1, 3
“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.” —1 John 4:9
“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” —Ephesians 2:4-7
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” —Lamentations 3:22-23
And these verses barely scratch the surface of the depth, breadth, length, and height of His love!
Here are a few more passages for further reading and study: Psalm 36:7, 51:1, 85:4-7, 10, 119:76, 130:7, 143:12; Isaiah 54:10.
Remember today—you ARE loved! Do you know it because you have a relationship with Jesus? Will you believe it? Will you receive it?
Rejoicing in Him,
@2017 Susan Cady, susancady.com
For further study on this topic, a seven-week Bible study titled, Walk in Love: Learning to Love Others Better is available for purchase on Amazon.
