Knowing and Believing His Love

And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. - 1 John 4:16

"We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us."

Exactly how did those early believers come to such knowledge and belief? How do we? Ever wonder how? Ever wonder if God really loves you?

While I have never wondered if God loves me, I admit that at times I have struggled to see some of His actions as "loving." Of course, when I was a child I felt the same way about some of my parents' decisions and actions. Believing that my way was always the best way, I took their disagreement or disapproval as unloving and uncaring. With time, I understood differently, just as John and the early church came to understand and believe the love of a discerning and caring God.

God's disagreement is always positive, but learning to accept it as beneficial is a process. It just takes time. Trust His love and one day you will understand it.

Christ will always accept the faith that puts its trust in Him. - Andrew Murray