I knew that God loved me, but I never treated His love as if His love could solve the problems in my life.
Like many Christians, I knew that "God loves me", but I did not realize that His love is rich, extravagant, overflowing.
This love is not some passive feeling, a comfort measure which gives us no power or help in our times of trouble.
Jesus did not look at the poor widow of Nain, who had lost her son, and say "Sorry about that!"
He brought the boy back to life, and then brought the boy to his mother (Luke 7: 11-17)
When the disciples were struggling to row their boat in the midst of a great storm, and called on Jesus, as though He did not know or care what they were going through, He did not ignore them, but He rose up, rebuked the wind into a mega calm, then chided His disciples for their lack of faith (Mark 4: 35-41)
Yet if we do not fully appreciate or rest in all that Jesus did for us at the Cross, then we cannot appreciate His for anything else in our lives:
"9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 9-10)
Love is first, foremost, and forever what Jesus did for us at the Cross.
Jesus did far more than die for our past sins, but also serves as a mercy seat forever for our sins and the sins of the entire world (1 John 2: 2)
Through His death on the Cross, we receive a new life, and a new identity in Him:
"17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)
Now, I have been growing in my understanding of how much God loves me.
The newer problem which I have been facing, which I had not dealt with as well as I could, centers on my poor appreciation for what He can do, and who He is in all that He can do.
My appreciation of Jesus and all that He is was just too small. I did not see Him as Someone who is carrying me through every day, that He was preparing every day for me. I did not have the proper appreciation for the Truth that He is in my tomorrows, that He also holds my yesterdays, and that because He is for me, then no one can be against me, that no weapon formed against me can prosper.
God is Love, everyone, and to the degree that we limit how great is His love, greater than our times and troubles, and any other obstacles we may face, to that degree we need to grow more in grace and knowledge of Him.
There is no one else to think about, and there is literally nothing to worry about, since He is greater than all things.
I have also learned that to the degree that I am fearful or lacking in my life, to that degree I need to spend less time just trying to feel good, and more time seeing more of Him and all the good that He does in our lives.
Do not treat the love of God as a small thing;
"16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3:16-19)
And do not think for one second that you can appreciate how much God loves you:
"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 108: 12)
and
"O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." (Psalm 90: 14)
and of course:
"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands." (Psalm 138: 8)
Grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord and His love for you, and do not be satisfied with what you know already of His love for you in His Son, Jesus Christ.
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