January 20, 2024 7:00 pm
“In everything / we look for pleasant ways of serving God,” writes sixteenth-century believer Teresa of Avila. She poignantly reflects on the many ways we seek to stay in control through easier, more “pleasant” methods than total surrender to God. We tend to slowly, tentatively, and even reluctantly grow to trust Him with all of ourselves. And so, Teresa confesses, “even as we measure out our lives to you / a bit at a time, / we must be content / to receive your gifts drop by drop, / until we have surrendered our lives wholly to you.”
As human beings, trust doesn’t come naturally to many of us. So if experiencing God’s grace and love were dependent on our ability to trust and receive it, we’d be in trouble!
But, as we read in 1 John 4, God’s love for us comes first (v. 19). He loved us long before we could love Him, so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son for us (v. 10). “This is love,” John writes in wonder and gratitude.
Gradually, gently, little by little, God heals our hearts to receive His love—drop by drop, His grace helps us surrender our fears (v. 18). Drop by drop, His grace reaches our hearts until we find ourselves experiencing showers of His abundant beauty and love.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
Our reading, titled Drop by Drop, was written by Monica LaRose. We tend to slowly, tentatively, and even reluctantly grow to trust Him with all of ourselves. And so, Teresa confesses, As human beings, trust doesn't come naturally to many of us. So, if experiencing God's grace and love were dependent on our ability to trust and receive it, we'd be in trouble. But, as we read in 1 John 4, God's love for us comes first. He loved us long before we could love Him, so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son for us. This is love, John writes in wonder and gratitude.
Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 John chapter 4, verses 9 through 19. Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us.
He has given us His Spirit, and we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God, and so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment. In this world, we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us. Let's pray. Faithful God, thank You for loving us first, even when our hearts were too wounded and hurting to trust You. Thank You for the many ways You reach us wherever we are. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening today. My name is Brenna Holsquaw, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-01-20 20:24:44 / 2024-01-20 20:26:09 / 1
