1 JOHN 4:16

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

TO PONDER

What does it really mean to 'rely' on God's love?

We talked about 'knowing' God's love in yesterday's devotion so today we'll focus on relying on God's love. This is important because I think we often rely on God's love in a similar way we might rely on the love of our spouse, parents, or siblings. This is not a bad place to start, however I'm sure it wouldn't take any of us long to think of examples in our own lives or in the lives of others, of the family member who we don't talk to any more, or the broken marriage that we have moved on from our the estranged parents we no longer see. The problem with relying on God's love the way we rely on the love of others is that we learn over a lifetime, that the love of others simply cannot be relied upon.

That kind of experience leaves us always wondering whether God's love for us is complete, especially when we 'fail' to live the way he has outlined for us. While I'm not proud of it, I know that at times, the way I display my love for my own children when they have failed to live within the boundaries and expectations that their mother and I have set is probably not showing them what the love of God actually looks like. This is why we often find ourselves, either consciously or subconsciously, doing things to 'earn' God's love and approval.

Relying on God's love is about trusting that it is always there, always true, always for us, even when we do not manage to live our lives in accordance wth God's expectations. Relying on God's love is learning to trust that God is at work for our good, even when we cannot see even one scrap of good amidst our present circumstances. We can do this because God's love is not like the love of others. It is not conditional, it is not prone to whims and circumstance. It is proven time and again throughout the testimony of Scripture both in the Old and New Testament, but especially in Jesus, who went as far as to offer himself in our place.

You can rely on God's love because it has overcome sin, death and the devil. There is no power that is greater than it and nothing can separate you from it.

PRAYER: Loving Heavenly Father, Thank you for the gift of your steadfast and perfect love. I simply ask that you would help me to rely on your love more fully, That I would know how to trust your love in a way that it casts out fear and anxiety in me and empowers me to live completely for you. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.