Out Of The Pit - Part 4

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What I believe God clearly and simply told me today.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Cor. 13:7)
Loving God wholeheartedly and faith (trusting Him) go hand-in-hand. I've noticed this theme over the last four days of listening and journaling. God is trustworthy. He keeps all of His promises. He is present in my fears. He initiates a relationship with me. He will finish what He has begun in me. These are true statements, but I believe God wants me to know them through personal experience and believe these truths about Him deep within my heart. Not just in my head, but in my innermost being. For some, this happens almost immediately. For others it takes time. For the disciples it took a long time.

The love described in 1 Corinthians 13 that God wants me to express is the same love I must first receive from Him. It is His love received that becomes mine to give. You cannot impart what you do not possess.

Later in the day I received a newsletter from Ransomed Heart Ministries. Here is what resonated with me.
Facts about God don’t get you very far. Stories about him bring you closer. But to actually meet him for yourself changes everything. When you remember that he is playful, it restores joy to your life. When you keep in mind he is valiant, it calms your fears. When you are convinced of his goodness, it restores hope. Jesus as he really is helps you interpret what he’s doing in your life, and move into a much deeper relationship with him.
So there you have it. I can know facts about God and the Bible but that won't get me very far. I can read and listen to stories about Jesus and that brings me closer. But to personally experience Jesus. To walk with Him. That changes everything. That is where radical, wholehearted trust and love is built.

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