The Love of God

Life doesn’t always get you where you want to go. As a young child, I noticed I learned from observation from my older sisters. That’s how I thought I would always be, I had hoped I would stay this way all of my life. I am finding that life doesn’t happen as you would hope. I am learning the hard way on some things in my life. Yet the road ahead of me is challenging, I know that God is in it. I know that I will become stronger, wiser, and better for it. It’s all about how you see it. Is your glass half empty (the pessimist)? Or is it half full (the optimist)?

Psalm 139:16-17 NIV says, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!”

All our days are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Every decision we make, every thought we have, every action we take, it is no surprise to Him. I feel that this is HUGE! So many of us don’t think on this…yet I am guilty of this also. If God knows all and sees all, then why do I worry so much about my life and what it should look like and the disappointments and so on and so forth?

Matthew 6:25-34 NIV, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear, Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I am sharing this with you to not only to just encourage you, but myself also. We all need reminders of God’s love for us and what His word promises us! Every day there are different challenges we face…or maybe it’s the same challenge every day. Some of us may be going through a traumatic experience that has changed us emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually. Maybe we are overwhelmed by the burdens we carry and we can’t bring ourselves to ask for help. Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t negate the fact that we need truth. Not only do we need truth, to know the truth, to live the truth, but we need to accept the truth and that it applies to us as much as anyone else. Do we receive it? Have I received it? Do I believe it? Do you believe it? Do you believe that the truth will set you free? Scripture reminds us “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32 NKJV).

Have you ever witnessed to someone about Jesus and cried because of the love he has for this individual but they still just don’t get it? It’s so real for that person we are witnessing to, but somehow it doesn’t even scratch the surface in our own lives. Why is this? This, I believe, can go back to mindset also. Through trauma we have faced from childhood up to the age we are now, there is an enemy enforcing lies that we believe is the truth. John 10:10 NKJV, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy….” The enemy is stealing this abundant life that Jesus has promised us in the second half of this scripture! “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Where does this abundant life start? I’ve recently read a book talking about recognizing the past and being able to put it to death before the new comes. Do you remember the scripture in 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.?” This makes sense to me. As much as we try to run from our problems, they still seem to catch up to us. So what has hurt us in the past? Why did this hurt me? Understand where your pain is coming from and seek healing. Healing may mean talking to that individual and forgiving them for hurting you. Healing could mean forgiving yourself. Healing could be laying it on the altar before God and allowing Him to do in you what needs done (a renewing of the mind…transformation). Healing could mean talking to a Christian counselor who can help you to put things in perspective and understand how to deal with your thoughts and feelings in a healthy and godly way. Everyone’s healing is different. Always keep the Lord before you! With an understanding of the old, the old can die and the new can come…the new creation in Christ. You are a new creation, healed, whole, hopeful, joyful, fully living in and receiving what God speaks over you!

Never give up! Always look for God in every situation. He will work in ways that we don’t expect or can’t even begin to understand. Trust Him! Even when it’s hard…trust Him! Remember, He goes before you, He is fighting for you! He sent His Son so that through Him the world would be saved…you could be saved…I can be saved. The love of God never gives up!

1 Corinthians 13 NKJV, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

©2022 Leslie Wittenmyer—All rights reserved