You Think You Know

Let me ask you a question.  Do you believe that God loves you? 

No... hold on.  Just pause and think about that one for a minute or two.

Sure, you know God loves you. Most of us grew up singing about it.   You remember - "Jesus loves me, this I know". 

But do you Believe it?  There is a difference.

The word geek in me just had to look up the definitions of both words

Know nō/  verb 

be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information

Believe bəˈlēv/  verb 

accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of

You

are aware of God's love.  You have the information.  It's not enough to just know you are loved.  You must believe it.  But if you're like me, maybe sometimes (most times?  all the time?)  you struggle to accept it and feel sure of it as truth.  

Why?  Why is it so hard to truly believe something you know?  Maybe you aren't aware of your own worth, so you doubt that you deserve His love. Maybe you think you've fallen so far, made so many mistakes that He couldn't possible still love you.  Maybe you have a basic understanding, but you don't have enough information to help you believe.

Sweet friend, I am here to tell you ...  He does.  He loves you.  He loves me. We are each unique and cherished masterpieces.  Nothing can ever separate us from that love.

So, how do we strengthen our belief?  I have 3 suggestions to help strengthen your faith in God's unconditional, unfailing love for us:

1)  Remind Yourself:
Every day, get into His Word.  Read it.  Learn it.  Memorize it.  And keep reminding yourself of His promises.  Write Bible verses about His love in a little notebook, on note cards or sticky notes.  Whenever you find yourself doubting it - pull them out and read them!  Here are a few to get you started -

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine." - Isaiah 43:1

" I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer" - Psalm 94:18-19

"I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me." - Proverbs 8:17

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."  -  Romans 8: 38-39

"For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." - Ephesians 2:10


2) Ask For It
Ask Jesus in prayer to help you in your unbelief!  Ask Him to show his love to you and to open your eyes so you will be able to recognize it. Now, it's important to realize that you're not asking God to make you rich, or famous or whatever in order to prove He loves you.  You are asking for signs of His love.  And those signs often come in quiet, simple ways.  Which brings me to...


3) Practice Gratitude:
Get yourself a journal or notebook, or just a piece of paper.  Every single day write down a few things you are grateful for right then.  When you are focused on recognizing all the blessings God has heaped into your life it quickly becomes easier to believe that He must truly love you!

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."  - Jeremiah 29:13

So...  now.  I'll ask you again.  Do you believe God loves you?  If not, which of these steps can you take  today to move you closer to that belief?  For me - it's all three!!

Wonderfully Made

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Lip Service

You can find me connecting at these Blog Hops and Link Ups

Man Sized Expectations

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength" ~ 1 Corinthians 1:25

The Bible tells us that all things are possible for God. But it can be so difficult to really wrap my head around that one.  To really believe that nothing is too big or impossible for Him to manage. Do I put man-sized restrictions on God?  Do I expect less of Him than He is really capable?

The simple answer is: Yes.Yes, I do.

But the truth is - God is bigger.  Bigger than our doubts.  Bigger than our fears.  Bigger than our weaknesses.  God is never going to let us down, disappoint us, or forsake us.  He is bigger than anything we can imagine.  His power goes beyond anything we can comprehend.

So, what ever it is you're expecting of God - think BIGGER!  Nothing is impossible for Him.

 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" ~ Ephesians 3:20

God With Us

God promises again and again - He will always be with us.

He will give us strength and courage.

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; don't be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" ~  Joshua 1:9

He will tell us what to say and help us say it.

"Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." ~ Exodus 4:12

He will teach us.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my loving eye on you" ~ Psalm 32:8

He will provide for us.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 4:19

He will never leave us.

"No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life.  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you, I will never leave you or forsake you" ~ Joshua 1:5

He will protect us.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"  ~ Psalm 27: 1

He will always be there.  When friends leave us.  When family can't be nearby.  God is always there.

Happy Valentine's Day

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.


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.

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. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

~ 1 Corinthians 13

His Love Endures Forever

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. ~ Psalm 100:5

Made Perfect In Weakness

Last week I wrote about being weary. I just feel weak. It feels as if it's one thing after another. First, I was sick. Then I had the infected tooth that had to be pulled.  Then the allergic rash attack. Now, I am either fighting the worst allergies ever or some sort of autumn cold.  Pile the chilly, gray weather we had the last few days on top of all this. The weariness has led to flat out exhaustion.

It's having an affect on me. It's wearing me down. Making me feel weak and frustrated. These things always seem to hit me on Tuesday or Wednesday, which means I haven't made it to my women's Bible study for 3 weeks now. I'm not writing as much as I would like. I'm not feeling up to doing much of anything. The kitchen isn't as clean as it should be. The bathrooms need a good scrubbing. The laundry isn't staying caught up the way it should. And the family menu shows a distinct lack of creativity this week.

It's easy to start slipping into the "why me" mind set. I want to shake my fist. I want to cry. I want to give up and just go back to bed. We've all been there, or some place very similar to it at one time or another.  Maybe for you it was even a worse place with darker circumstances.  I know my little health issues are tiny compared to what so many others deal with on a daily basis. But this is where I am.

This morning I was thinking that if one more thing comes up anytime soon, or if I don't start feeling much better quickly - I was going to lose my mind.  Then during my morning quiet time, while flipping through my Bible on my way to 1 John - my eyes landed on this piece of scripture:

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

The Lord knows we will have times of trouble.  He knows we go through times when we are sick, hurt, tempted, scared or weak.

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33
But He does not want us to be alone or to carry the full burden without help.  He wants us to seek his presence.  To cry out to Him in our time of need.

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!" ~ 1 Chronicles 16:11

"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears." ~ Psalm 18:6


He is there to support us.  To encourage us.  He will refresh us and give us rest!

 "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." - Jeremiah 31:25

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." ~ Matthew 11:28

I don't know about you - but I feel a little better already!