If your faith remains strong, even while surrounded by life's difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God! True happiness comes as you pass the test with faith, and receive the victorious crown of life promised to every lover of God! James 1:12 TPT
There is a lot to consider in that scripture, but the question that keeps coming into my head this morning is "Am I a lover of God?" I know without a doubt that I am a lover of chocolate, especially smooth dark chocolate! I know what dark chocolate looks like and tastes like. And I know exactly where to find it in the supermarket aisle.
But what about God? What does He look like? What is it like to taste his love? Where do you find him when you need him?
What does God look like? I don't know. But I know what His love looks like ... the peace that comes in a situation that seems utterly hopeless; the thing that just happens and there is no other explanation other than God did it; the word of encouragement that comes when no-one else knew what was going on in your life - except God; and of course the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, opening the door for us to spend eternity with God.
What is it like to taste God's love? For me it is like that ice cool refreshing drink you have on a sweltering day, that helps to bring relief from the heat. His love brings me to back to the place of knowing that no matter what is going on, healing and restoration is possible. Other times his love is like that smooth hot chocolate drink that brings comfort, when even a hot chocolate drink can't. It is a comfort that is more than momentary. It is deep and stays with us. Always His love is sweet, bringing a smile to my lips and often tears to my ears as I think on Who He is, the creator of the universe who sent His son Jesus to earth to show His unconditional love for me and you. A love that is far sweeter and smoother than chocolate.
Drink deeply of the pleasures of this God.
Experience for yourself the joyous mercies he gives
to all who turn to hide themselves in him.
Psalm 34:8 TPT
Where do you find Him? God is here, with us, Emmanuel.
“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 NKJV
God is everywhere.
“Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord,
“And not a God afar off?
Can anyone hide himself in secret places,
So I shall not see him?” says the Lord;
“Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:23-24 NKJV
God has gone before us.
And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8 NKJV
If we look for God with all our heart, we will find him. He will answer our call. The bible tells us that in Jeremiah 29.
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13 NKJV
And because of what Jesus did, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, God is directly accessible to each of us today ....
And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22 NKJV
Just mentioning chocolate again ..... even though it is delicious and so accessible in our world, it doesn't offer the salvation and new life that Jesus does.
So back to the original question that I was pondering, 'Am I a lover of God?' Knowing what Jesus has done for me, knowing the things I think, do and say each day that would not be pleasing to God and knowing that His forgiveness is readily available, knowing that Jesus is interceding for me, knowing that He won't leave me or forsake me, then the answer has to be yes. Could I be a better lover of God? The answer again is yes, and that comes through the daily walk with Christ, living more of His way and less of my way. Thank you Jesus for your grace.
My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 NLT
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