Tag: God’s love

Trust in His Love

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love… ~ 1 John 4:16

Do you ever struggle with doubt? It can manifest itself in many different forms. It could be doubt about a decision that you’ve made, uncertainty about the direction of a relationship, or a lack of confidence in yourself as a person.

I struggle with doubt. For years I fought the temptation to doubt my salvation. Horrible obsessive thoughts and crippling anxiety made the situation worse. Satan twisted Scripture in my mind, and pushed me to focus on myself instead of Jesus – the author and perfector of my faith.

In His goodness, God delivered me from this stronghold. He helped me to rest in Him and His work on the cross for my salvation. He helped me to realize that He started a work in me and that He will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6). It can still be a struggle at times, but it does not dominate my life like it used to. Praise Him!

But uncertainty about my salvation was not the end of my struggle with doubt. More recently I’ve felt like my Abba Father has been far from me. I couldn’t hear Him speaking to me when I read the Bible or prayed. I knew He was there, I just couldn’t feel His presence. It was a difficult time.

One day during my devotions I came across a familiar Scripture verse, but in a different Bible translation: “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love” 1 John 4:16 NLT. I began to see this verse in a different light. God spoke to me through His Word.

I didn’t need to doubt His love for me! Yes, at that point in time, it felt like God was absent from my life. But in truth He wasn’t far from me. He was right there beside me! His sacrificial death for me on the cross proved His great love for me. I could know it with certainty (even if I didn’t feel it), and could TRUST in His love. God helped me to replace my worries with His truth and enabled me to rest in my Savior’s arms.

Do you ever doubt God’s love for you? Has He ever felt far away and seemingly absent from your life? Please know that He is not! God’s children never have to doubt His affection for them. Look to the cross. Look to His Word. Ask for the Lord’s help to let go of the doubts and fears and to rest in His love. You will be glad you did!

Coins in a Jar

Forty-four dollars and nineteen cents.

That’s how much money I received from the machine after putting in all of the coins that my Dad had saved up for me. He loves throwing his change in a jar when he comes home from work, and then giving it to me to cash out and use towards things that I need.

I went food shopping after I traded in my coins. I attempted to add up in my head the cost of the things that I was putting in my cart, but I soon lost count. Going down my grocery list, I picked up the items that I needed, and was finally ready to check out. As the cashier rang up my items, I was praying that I had enough cash to pay for it. And you’ll never guess how much the total came to:

Forty-four dollars and nineteen cents!

Isn’t our God amazing?! He knew how much money I needed, and He provided it for me – nothing more, and nothing less.

And I know that His provision wasn’t just about money. It was about my Father showing me, in a manner that I could not deny, that He sees me. He sees the things that I’m going through. He sees my heart and my desire to please Him. He sees my struggles and my shortcomings and my sins…and He loves me just the same.

I am His daughter, and He lovingly cares for my needs.

So whatever situation you are in today, just know that God sees you. He sees every detail of Your situation, and He cares deeply. If you will trust Him with your life, He will gladly take your burdens and will faithfully provide for you in His own time and way – just as He graciously did for me.

That’s the simple lesson that God taught me through coins in a jar.

 

When I’m With You

“When I’m with You
I feel the real me finally breaking through
It’s all because of You Jesus
Anytime anywhere any heartache
I’m never too much for You to take
There’s only love
There’s only grace
When I’m with You”

~ Citizen Way

I’m so glad that I can be myself with God.

Yesterday and today were rough days for me. I struggled with a lot of anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and depression. But thank the Lord that He was there with me, walking beside me every step of the way.

I can share with Him every doubt, every worry, every fear…and know that it won’t be too much for my Father. When I come to Him with these burdens, He pours out His love and grace on me. And I can feel peace in His presence.

If you are struggling with feeling like you need to put on a facade before the Lord, just remember that He knows you and loves you just the way you are. He is aware of our hang-ups, and He will bring us victory in those areas as we rely on Him.

When we’re with Him…we have everything we need.