Read 1 John 4:16 NIV
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.
As I read and reread this verse today, and then I read all the surrounding verses in 1 John, I was struck by the first few words: “And so we know and rely on…” There is a “matter of fact”-ness about these words. A certainty. Maybe it’s the words “And so” that lead the reader to believe that a decision or a conclusion has been made. Whatever the reason, I got stuck on those words, because, if I am completely honest, I don’t know that I always live as if “I know and rely on.” Because sometimes I feel pretty alone and unloved. I often look to people – my people – to fill in the gap, to bolster my feeling of being loved and wanted so that I see my purpose. In those moments I am “knowing and relying on” the wrong giver of love to fill me.
But if we read a little further to the next verse, it holds the answer for our times of doubt. God is love! When we choose to rely on His love and live in that love, He lives and moves in us and through us. Maybe we can all choose to make that the deciding factor for today at least – to know and rely on the love God has for us. And then maybe tomorrow, if we’re feeling a little wobbly, this verse can be our reminder and we can choose again.
