February 2024 Partner Letter
Believe The Love 1 John 4:16 (NASB) We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. God Bless You Partners! ! I am so excited about all the Lord is doing in our midst. As most people know, the month of February is often viewed through lenses of love. February 14th is what the world calls Valentine’s Day and typically people take this day as an opportunity to express their love to those they are in close relationship with. Albeit sometimes this is a day of “misuse of affection” when some people use it to become sinful and engage in wrong sexual acts with people they are not married to, none the less, it is still a day where even Believers find time to give a card and perhaps have a meal with their spouse, family members and friends. Yet, there is more to this concept of love that is more than just how we feel about another human. The Bible declares that “God is Love” (1 John 4:8). This means that love is the very nature and character of God. God loves His children so very much and wants us to both know and believe the love that He has for us. For so many people, this is a tough attribute of God to adapt. We have so often been taught the wrath of God and very seldom are we taught the love of God in its proper context. John had the right revelation of the love of God. I like the NASB version of 1 John 4:16 because it gives us a clear picture of how we really come to a place of not only knowing the love of God, but also “believing” the love that God has for everyone. Notice the verse starts off by saying, “we have come to know”; this is a relationship statement. We did not just know the love of God in totality when we first met Him, we had to “come to know” or “get to know and believe the love.” So many Christians are deprived of the love of God because they do not spend enough time with Him. Just like everyone else, God is someone that you and I need to “come to know.” Once we come to know Him, believing His love is going to come so much easier. Now, when you start to believe the love of God, your faith will start working because you will know that God loves you and desires that you have what you are believing for. Believing the love of God will transcend any problem or issue that you are dealing with. Once I know that God loves me, I can trust Him for provision