And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16 (NKJV)   Have you ever had someone say, “I love you,” when they really didn’t know you that well? If so, you may have thought, “You don’t even know me. How can you say you love me?” It’s a common reaction. We often assume that others can’t possibly love us until they really know us or we do something to earn that love, and I get it. There’s a certain type of love we share with those who know us best. However, there’s another type of love we can have for people. This …

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is ( springs ) from God; and he who loves [ his fellowmen ] is begotten ( born ) of God and is coming [ progressively ] to know and understand God [ to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him ]. 1 John 4:7 (AMPC)   The more aware you become of God’s love for you, the more empowered you are to love others. First, let’s talk about the word love. Ancient Greek divides the word “love” into at least four separate words. There’s romantic eros love. There’s platonic storge love that’s shared between friends and family. There’s give-and-take phileo love that relies on both parties giving and getting something back …

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)   According to Psalm 37:4, you can take delight in the Lord, and He will “give you the desires of your heart.” So how can you learn to enjoy God? I know that it can be difficult to feel God’s love for you when you can’t reach out and touch Him, but that doesn’t make His love any less real. Physical touch is only one expression of love, after all. God shows you His love many other ways. Take a look around you at the beautiful world He created for you, for example. Think of the exciting life of adventure He’s planned for you that you …