Something I read in my Journey Magazine has me pondering still.

In part, it read: “I think that’s something we all want to know — that we are really loved.  . . .  I still found myself testing her, pushing her, wanting to know what she really thought.”

The writer then went on to talk about GOD’s love for us; how He proved His love through JESUS.

And so here I am writing about relationships: horizontal and vertical.  Horizontal being human to human and vertical, human to GOD.

We can be deeply, I mean really, loved by someone but when we allow thoughts and circumstances and disagreements and differences to blind us, we fail to own that love and we feel unloved.

It’s the same with GOD. He for sure, without conditions, without measure, loves every soul ever born or yet to be conceived but so many do not receive His love. Why? The Bible says they have been blinded. (see 2 Corinthians 3:14 and 2 Corinthians 4:4)

And even though He proved Himself through the substitutionary Life, Death, Burial and Resurrection of JESUS the CHRIST, until we believe and rely upon (receive) His Atonement, we keep doubting He loves us; and we keep acting out that unbelief, wanting Him over and over again to prove to our human senses that He does indeed love us.

This I have learned. He cannot do that.
It is not with the human senses that we believe and receive His love, it is by OUR CHOICE. We choose to believe and He ensures that we do.

Love, faith, relationships — all are gifts. We can unpack them or not, it’s our choice.

An Afterthought: You know even after we have personally received and relied upon His Atonement for us, if we choose to live by our senses instead of the gift of faith He gave us, we will pout for Him to prove to our flesh that He loves us.  It’s a process. And we are progressing one good choice after another!

It’s Friday, y’all!