A Heart For Jesus

  “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”  1 John 4:16 ESV   Have I come to know and to believe the love God has for me?   Why is it so difficult for me to believe I am loved? Is it enough for me to believe that Jesus gave Himself for me? That He took the punishment I deserved for my sins? That He says I am completely forgiven?  What keeps me from grasping this promise and believing? Is it fear? Is it because I have a low opinion of myself? I messed up too badly? How could He love someone like me after all I’ve done?  But the Bible says,  ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John   3 : 16   ESV Am I not part of “the world”; am I not “whoever”?  Then why the underlying fear of rejection? An overwhelming need, at times, for approval from other...

  I read this book by Charles Spurgeon called, “Faithful To Christ”, the first chapter was on Pride and gave me quite a lot to think about!  Especially this statement, “Pride is something that should be unnatural to us, for we have nothing to be proud of”. It kind of took me back. What? I’m not supposed to be proud of myself? Or my accomplishments? Or how far I’ve come? But as I thought about it, I noticed something. “My accomplishments”, “I’ve come”, “Myself”? Where’s God? Reminded me of the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-19. What struck me about this one,    was how the farmer never gives any gratitude to God for all he's been given. It's all about what he's done. Don’t I or we do the same thing? But if you think about it, it’s God who gives us our abilities. God who helps us accomplish all that we’ve done. God who has brought us this far. In Exodus 4:11, God reminds Moses, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it n...