How Do You Know He Loves You? by Glenn Wharton

Glenn Wharton along with his wife Laurie serve as Life Coaches for Words of Life Communication. They can be contacted at lifewords@comcast.net

In a scene from one of my favorite animated movie musicals, the two lead characters, a man and a woman, are strolling in the park talking about love. Not love for each other, mind you, but the love that the man has for his girlfriend, whom he has recently angered after some miscommunication. The woman asks the man how his girlfriend knows that he loves her. He answers, “She knows.” And the woman again asks, “How does she know?” When he can’t come up with a good answer, the woman breaks into song, and soon the entire supporting cast has broken out in song and dance, singing about all the ways a man has to show a woman that he loves her in order for her to feel secure in his love.

The questions I want to ask you today are:

How do you know that God loves you? How secure are you in His love for you? How do you know that you are truly a child of God?

During times of adversity, it’s important to remember that God loves you. If you don’t understand that God’s love does not always feel good (even though it’s always good for you), you might be tempted to believe the lies of the enemy when he tells you that you’re going through difficulties because God doesn’t love you, or because God has forgotten about you, or because God isn’t pleased with you. There are other lies you may be believing, but I don’t have space to elaborate on them all here.

“God is more concerned about your character than your comfort.” Ouch! I’ve heard this statement many times during my Christian life. But as a young Christian, a babe in the faith, I really did not understand it’s truth. Oh, I knew what the words meant. But I had also heard other Christians say things that seemed to refute this statement, some that were very encouraging, and made me think that God just wanted me to be happy in Him. For example, “I may not be what I want to be, but I thank God I’m not what I used to be.” And, “I’m blessed and highly favored!” These kinds of statements were good for encouraging me when times were good, but they didn’t encourage me for long when I was going through hard times.
Here’s what encouraged me, and I hope encourages you, during times of adversity:

“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” (Rev 3:19)

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“And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:5-11)

Times of adversity let us know that God really is our Father. He wants us to know Him and not just know about Him. During times of adversity, we run to Him and look for reasons why He is allowing the adversity and we are willing to repent for anything He shows us with the hope that the adversity will end. You see, through the adversity, God develops our character, molding and shaping and conforming us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. And this is the purpose of life, after all – to bring glory to God as His character is revealed in us!

God Bless You,
Glenn

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2009 – AT THE ROCC – ATMOSPHERE OF HEAVEN – DOORS OPEN AT 7 P.M. – FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE www.rocconline.org – FOR WORSHIP THAT WILL LIFT AND INSPIRE YOU – BE THERE!

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