Jesus loves you very much. Everything of value in life begins and ends here. God’s love gives your life purpose and hope. You can live inside His love. It’s that safe place where you flesh out details of daily living. In the heart of God, where you are loved and cherished, you have belonging. You are protected.
The Lord has given you everything you need for life and godliness. (2 Pet. 1:3) God intends to love you forever. He has provided careful instructions with special attention to the help you need. He also intends to transform you. But there’s one more thing He intends to give you. Let’s look.
Love, Instruction, Transformation, and The Other Thing
God loves you. He has promised to love you no matter what happens. No matter what you choose to do. No matter where you are or what circumstances fill your life. He says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jer. 31:3)
God provides instruction. He has given you the heads up about how to live with peace, joy, and power. He gives critical information in His Word. This is invaluable when you get to certain life crossroads. Crossroads are often filled with turmoil, confusion, and fear. Possibly threats and even hurt. Yet, they are also filled with opportunity. God has gone before you to every crossroads you will experience. Anticipating your arrival, He has encouraging words and options to help you. You have a sincere helper.
At those difficult life crossroads, God transforms you. As you trust His love and obey His instructions, He literally changes your character to be like His own. In your crossroad, pause and remember to hold fast to His love and teachings. God is busy blessing your responses of faith even when you cannot see it.
That other element God adds into this mix is “more and more.” God wants you to be all He created you to be – in increasing measure. To overflow with His joy and peace, more and more. To be assured of His eternal love for you, more and more. God wants you to be increasingly holy. He has equipped you to avoid sin. To side-step it. God wants you to live your life in His safe place. When you trusted Jesus for salvation and forgiveness, His Spirit came to live inside you. Your body is an incredible resource He has provided, not only for your comfort and convenience, but also to serve you as you intentionally serve Him. More and More.
Please hold onto these thoughts when you are at your bottom. When you are in a tight spot. At your crossroads. When you are tempted to give up – or to take a tiny dip into ungodly decisions. As you are facing illness or loss. Trust God’s love and honor His instructions when you are tested, tired, hurting, or discouraged. Please don’t reject this place God has brought you to. Instead, yield again. Through surrender, you discover the more and more God has stored up for you. He’s been waiting for you to arrive at this crossroads.
Please don’t reject His love and His teachings when He begins the work of transformation in your heart. Instead, hold tenaciously to His sweet Spirit. Intentionally grab hold of the treasure He has prepared and heaped up for you, by His foreknowledge of your arrival to that spot in life. Won’t you respond to Him? More and more?
“More and more” rivets stability into your heart.
Article developed from 1 Thess. 4:1-8.
