Our Journey To Knowing God’s Love

Today’s verse accurately describes a life of surrender. We realize that everything we have or say or do is a gift from God, and we learn to appreciate every moment and not get so hung up on the minuscule details and irritations of life that really don’t matter. We learn not to make a mountain out of a mole hill.

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Scripture: 
“As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” – 1 Peter 4:2

Observation/Application: 
Every person has their own journey to full surrender. But it is only when we get to know our Lord and savior at a deep and personal level can we know that we can fully trust Him. Only when we learn that His Ways are greater than our ways can we learn to follow His lead, let go of our egos and selfishness, and lean on Him.

One of the most common obstacles in our journey to the Lord comes from our poor definition and understanding of love. We tend to base our definition on our human understanding of love and on the love that we receive from human relationships. But we are not perfect, and we continually fail.

And so our understanding of love tends to be more emotionally based and a feeling. But love is more than a feeling. Love never fails. Love never falls short. Love is perfect and pure. And so is God. God is perfect. God is pure. God never fails us. God never falls short.

In short, we can’t really understand what love is until we know God. For God is love.

Perfect love is not easy to emulate. It is not easy to forgive those who do not deserve our forgiveness. It is not easy to forgive those who continually seek to harm us. It is not easy to love those who are being totally selfish because they only love themselves. It is not easy to love those who could care less about our opinion or our existence. From a human perspective, perfect love is really difficult to wrap our arms.

God’s love can best be understood through the understanding of Jesus Christ. And while many say that the Bible contains the greatest love story of all time, it is more accurate to know that it contains the greatest historical record and evidence of God’s love for us. And while we would debate scripture for hours, one of the best scriptures that reflects God’s pure and perfect love can be found in a verse in the book of John:

• “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

Another great place that explains what love is can be found in the book of Corinthians. Corinthians gives us a very tangible description of love that we all can imagine but that we all struggle to achieve. This explanation of love found in what is often referred to as the “love chapter”, is what is most frequently used in wedding ceremonies. You might recognize this scripture:

• “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

When we measure ourselves against this description and standard, how many of us can honestly say that we always walk in this perfect love, 24×7? Seriously? Walking in love is easier to explain than it is to do.

But there is a path to perfect love, and it can be found in Jesus Christ. Love peace, hope, joy, and so much more can be found by living a Christ-centered life. And not only is it the path to a good life, but it is the only path to eternity.

So let us lay our burdens down, and let us recognize our selfishness, our pride, our egos, our earthly desires. And in everything that we do, let us ask ourselves if we are walking in love. Let us ask ourselves if this this something that I would do if Jesus we standing here right beside me.

And if I knew that this was the last moment of my life, would I do this knowing that the next thing I had to do was appear before God and give account of my faith and my actions. Would God say, “well done good and faithful servant”?

My prayer for you today is that you know what God is calling you to do. I pray that you put God in the center of every thought, every word, every decision. And most of all, I pray that you come to truly know and understand the amazing love of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And when we do, it is amazing how everything falls into place.

I call you blessed.

#God-Is-Love

Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for your Word today. Thank you for taking the exact conversation that I had with a friend yesterday and revealing them to me in scripture this morning as a reminder that you are at the center of it all. Help me to walk in your perfect love, for I fear that I have failed miserably. Give me the strength and courage that I need to face the enemy and whatever situation that I am facing. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that any opposition to Your Will, in whatever form it appears, will be shattered and removed from my path. Guide my every step, my every word, my every thought. We are so thankful for your perfect love. We give you all the honor and glory and praise, in Jesus mighty name. Amen. 

Today’s full reading: Isaiah 43-45; 1 Peter 4

Scripture References From Today’s Reflection: 

• “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17
• “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” – 1 John 4:16
• “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” – 1 Corinthians 13:8
• “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!'” – Matthew 25:23

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