Like to think God loves me, but.......

[stephen]

Have you ever asked yourself what it would take to convince you that your emotions are lying to you, and that God really does love you?

I say this because we need to realize that our emotions don't always tell us the truth. God gave us our emotions, and life would be very dull without them—but sometimes they get confused and make us believe things that aren't really true. There may be all sorts of reasons for this, including the way we were raised or our childhood experiences—but whatever the reason, our emotions aren't always dependable guides.

Perhaps this is the case with you—and the only solution is to let the truth be your guide, even if your emotions tell you otherwise. And what is the truth? The truth is God loves you. Yes, He is holy and pure, and sin is an offense to Him. But in spite of our sins He still loves us. Just as parents still love their children even if they disobey, so God loves us even if we sin.

How do I know God loves us? I know it for one reason: because God sent His only Son into the world to die for our sins. The Bible says, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16). Would Christ have died for you if He didn't love you and want you to be with Him in Heaven forever? Of course not. But He did—and today you can come to know His love by asking Him to come into your life.


BGEA: Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

 

[joy]

Thank you so much for sharing
I really needed to read this today

 

[Dreamer]

You know something? God has enough love for all of us!

I was driving the car, running errands this morning. One of the radio announcers of the Christian station I listen to, was wishing a happy birthday 19th birthday to his niece, Shauna. He went on, and on, ...and on....talking about how pretty she is, how much everyone loves her, where she is going to school, how well she is doing....how much he and his wife love their niece.

I was starting to get a little nauteous. And I mumbled out loud, "It must be wonderful to be so loved." 'No one wished me a happy 19th birthday,' I thought, and my mind and emotions began to dwell on my gloomy past, and my difficult present. I started to have a pity party.

I interrupted my pity party with a prayer. Of course, I didn't close my eyes, since I was driving. I said something like this, "Lord, help me to realize that I am loved, and that You have enough love to go around to every child of God."

 

[Spreadtheword]

I've always thought that God doesn't love me anymore.I'm serious!

 

[stephen]

I've always thought that God doesn't love me anymore.I'm serious!

WE would love to help..........I mean the ladies on 'talkjesus'

God Bless You

 

[Faithin1]

What specifically makes you feel that God doesn't love you anymore? Believe me, He does! We all face trials and tribulation in our journey through this life. I realize when life gets you down, sometimes you feel as though you are alone. The poem, "Footprints In The Sand" come to mind, and in your situation I feel it is worth sharing. I'm sure you are familiar with this, but maybe it will be an inspiration and comfort to you anyway. God bless!

One night I had a dream
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord
And across the sky flashed scenes from my life
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand
One belonged to me, the other to the Lord
When the last scene passed before us
I looked back at the footprints in the sand
I noticed, that many times along the path of my life
There was only one set of footprints
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of my life
This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow You, You would walk with me all the way
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there have been only one set of footprints
I don't understand why in times when I needed You most, You would leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never, never leave you during your times of trials and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints
It was then that I carried you."

 

[calluna]

faithin1, how fitting this poem is for this thread. I know it will bless others as it just blessed me. Thank you.
Since becoming a Christian it is rarely that I feel that God doesn't love me, but I have been there and it does take the Word of God to remind me of the truth. It is important to separate our feelings from the truth of what God's Word says. For me it's usually the reminder of John 3:16 "for God so loved the World, that He sent His only begotten son, for whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life". It tells me right here that God loves me, He sent His son to die for me. And so I just have to believe it is true that He loves me throughout my life whether I feel it or not.

Calluna

 

[Br. Bear]

God doesn't love you anymore.....or less!

Dear Word spreader,

I'm serious too!
God does not love you anymore than He loves me, and He doesn't love you any less.
And therefore I know that He loves you....I have stuffed up so many times as a Christian, I have asked for all sorts of things in prayer and when the answer didn't flow the way I planned, or the guilty feeling of shame or failure tried to get its roots into me, God in His eternal love lifted me, and assured me of His love. His grace and mercy is so far beyond our ability to reason with, and just in considering Him, you are working out the salvation He has paid for, for you!

If God loves me...and I know He does, He definately loves you!!!

God is Love, and so dear SpreadtheWord, He can ONLY love you...it is totally impossible for Him to not love you, for He is LOVE.

Bless you!

 

[maciek]

God loves me passionately

I know that if I feel or not feel...God loves me unconditionally and unlimited way through His son Jesus Christ and I know it through power of the Holy Spirit...No doubt..He has loved me with an everlasting love..

 

[seventhseal]

I also have a problem with this. I tend to see God as a ruler with an iron rod that sees only my sins and nothing else. I think there should be more discussions on this.

 

[Dreamer]

I know I posted in here awhile back with a story of how God made me realize He loves me....

But, to be honest, I have to agree with seventh seal. I do tend to see God as a ruler with an iron rod that only sees my sins and nothing else. When I read seventh seal's post, something clicked in me, I know that is my problem.

Somehow I think I must be perfect for God to love me. Somehow, I overdo things, trying to win God's approval. (As if I could do that.)

I was "programmed" this way. Growing up, I numbed myself emotionally; I was lonely, I did not have parental support or guidance; I always felt out-of- place and inferior. I wish that I wasn't like this. I am "tired of being tired" of feeling unloved, nervous, and upset almost constantly. I want to change.

It seems like I have to look in the bible over and over to be reassured of God's love. Each time, it's like a new realization...and then it disappears. God's love is something I have in my head as logical thinking, but it hasn't sunk into my heart yet. I've been working hard for God, for 16 years now. I tell people I've been "following God hard".

You know what? It's time I lay down my attempts and my fumbles and my pain. It's time I just learn what God's unconditional love really is, and that He does love me unconditionally. I'll never be able to earn His love, because I already had it in the first place. He loved me first, before I ever knew Him.

I feel so ashamed for trying to help people and minister to them when I don't understand God's love for myself. Please pray for me if you are reading this; I have really been having a hard time.

God never asked me to change into something He could accept. He asked me to accept His love, and He would do the changing. I love Him, but I'm finally realizing, I've been trying to walk upside-down.

Someone was praying for me last night. I could feel it. Maybe it was Chad or teraside, as I spoke to them yesterday about things going on in my life. I had this peace come over me and I realized that I didn't have to do anything special to receive His love, and that I only had to concentrate on the things that He has for me; I don't have to search around and just choose anything to work on. What He anoits me to do; I will do in His strength.

I tell other people often that God loves them. Now I will believe that He loves me, or at least....I'm trying.

 

[ladylovesJesus]

Hi dreamer

It sure took me a long time to finally realise that God really loves me. People used to tell me so. I knew it in my head but finally God got through to me and I know without a shadow of a doubt that He really loves me.

God is love. He accepts us as we are because He knows how we can be.

I used to feel inferior to due to the way I grew up.

One year while I was at at a ladies weekend I went for prayer and I had something in mind that I wanted prayer for, but God had other ideas.

How awesome He is.

I was delivered from my inferiority complex. Hallelujah Praise the Lord.

I can so relate to you dreamer, and have related to others in places I have worshipped before too.

Also I used to be a perfectionist every thing had to be just right. I had to get it right. God has released me and done a lot of deliverance in my life with Christian Counsellors and I am so different to how I used to be. I was so shy. Now I speak out and have confidence because of Jesus.

You are in my prayers dear sweet sister. I you and wish I could come and give you a big hug. Like someone did to me once. It was a Jesus hug. They were taking the place of Jesus to give me a hug.

I also was told to look at myself in a mirror and say God loves me every day.

Love is the greatest. Love from God is unconditional nothing we do can make him love us more and nothing we do will make Him love us less.

May God richly bless you dear sister.


Thank you for sharing your heart with us here.

I just went to go advanced as I did not know what it did and now I can see the smilies here too. :girl_hug: :girl_hug:
:kiss:

 

[ladylovesJesus]

God sent His one and only son so that whosoever believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jn3.16

I asked Jesus how much He loved me. 'This much He said and stretched out His arms and died for me'

I love this song about His love too.

Artist: Phillips Craig And Dean
Song: Halelujah (Your Love Is Amazing)

Your love is amazing
Steady and unchanging
Your love is a mountain
Firm beneath my feet

Your love is a mystery
How You gently life me
When I am surrounded
Your love carries me

Your love is surprising
I can feel it rising
All the joy thats growing
Deep inside of me
And every time I see you
All your goodness shines through
And I can feel this God song rising up in me

CHORUS
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Your love makes me sing
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Your love makes me sing

Your love is surprising
I can feel it rising
All the joy thats growing
Deep inside of me
And every time I see you
All your goodness shines through
And I can feel this God song rising up in me

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love. psalm 103:8 NIV

I hope these songs will encourage those who need to know how much God loves them.

Jesus' love is very wonderful

Jesus’ love is very wonderful,
Jesus’ love is very wonderful,
Jesus’ love is very wonderful,
Oh, wonderful love!
It’s so high you can’t get over it,
So low you can’t get under it,
So wide you can’t get round it,
Oh, wonderful love!

Jesus Christ is Lord of everything.

He loves me and so He died for me.

We must yield our lives and follow Him

Jesus’ way is best for all of us.

Sing to the Lord a new song sister :girl_hug: :note:

 

[pixie]

Dear Spreadtheword. All of us go through feelings of abandonment. We feel far and distanced from the Lord. All the prophets in the Bible suffered, when they felt far from God. Psalms is always the easiest to identify with. David suffered sorrow and anguish, yet rejoiced and sang to the Lord. Jesus asked God from the cross, "My Lord, why are You forsaking Me"...In Corinthians, Paul speaks of abandonment.

8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Spreadtheword, He hasn't abandoned you. He does love you. It is time like these, that bring us closer to the Lord. It seem like you desire to be closer to the Lord. God knows this and sometimes by seeming far from you, He brings you closer to Him. Isaiah is one of my favorite prophets. He speaks of the Lord drawing nearer.

# Isaiah 54:7 (Whole Chapter)
"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

Sometimes we all feel "abandoned" by God. These are just "dry spots", in our journey to the Kingdom of God's new creation.

Keep praying Spreadtheword. Like I said, we all at some point feel that God no longer loves us. Bless you and keep climbing the mountain of the Lord.

Amenixie

 

[Br. Bear]

God's love...

Dear Seventhseal,

May I offer a few words to encourage you, and to help you see Our Father as He is.

Let me start by getting a few things right. THE one WHO ACCUSES US IS NOT GOD! Satan is the accuser of the bretheren. I am sure the Talk Jesus folk can verify this, scripturally. Our enemy keeps a tally on all our faults as he sees it, and does his best to use them against us, directly and indirectly.And let me assure you that he has NO MERCY.
Now, there is one other place to look for the iron rod. Our conscience. This may be hard for some to acknowledge, but it is true. Often, we beat ourselves for our mistakes and problems.

Right, on to God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We have become a sweet smelling savour, a delightful fragrance, to God the Father through the sacrifice of His Son. NOT BECAUSE OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Yea, we have become the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD, because of His LOVE. Remember, HE FIRST LOVED US. Jesus died for the sins of the world. He paid for our sinful condition with His life. He is our covering. Now, God so loved the world, while we were yet sinners, so what of His love when we become one with Him...does it vanish or turn to the iron rod? Most definately not!

In Christ we are made clean, we are given life. The wages of sin is death, not life. So, in Christ we have life, and He doesn't stop there, but goes on to tell us it is abundant life, and it is true. So, God, who is love, can He lie? NO!!! We have been quickened, made alive in Christ. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus...
WHEN GOD LOOKS AT US HE SEES HIS SON, HE SEES US AS CLEAN AND RIGHTEOUS, BELOVED AND PRECIOUS.

Going back to the enemy briefly, he would have us think ill of God...remember the garden..the lies about God?
And back to our conscience...if we feel condemned, examine ourselves and consider our ways, repent if and when necessary, confess our sins, and He (God) will forgive us, or more to the point, we will, if we repent, enter into His rest, His forgiveness. If you are a Christian, it is because of His love and forgiveness that you are a Christian.
Do not get confused though on the matter of your conscience, for remember, Christ Jesus has taken the ordinances against us and nailed them to His cross...2000 odd years ago. Allow yourself to have your conscience stirred if you are sinning, and do something about it, and give thanks to God that He has in His mercy and grace allowed you to see the error of your ways while there is still time, but do not count God as a hard task master, but rather see Him as He is, full of forgiveness, pardon and love, overflowing into your lives, giving to you all a new life, if you will only believe.

In the garden the serpent succeeded in convincing Eve and Adam of unbelief. He continues to stir unbelief in a righteous, just and holy God. The sin we must beware of is unbelief. FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE.

And, let us thank God that we are not judged according to our standards or the worlds. Look and see as God sees us. May He grant to you fullness of life and newness of mind by the Holy Ghost in Jesus Name and recieve it from Him.

Bless you!

 

[Br. Bear]

What Jesus said...

Dear seventhseal and other members who have an interest in this post/thread,

may I add a few more words on this all too common problem facing the body of Christ?

One day a woman who was caught in adultery was being accused of breaking the law. Jesus was asked to participate on the process. After suggesting to her accusers that the one(s) without sin, i.e. those who were perfect, should cast the first stone, He drew in the sand/dirt. Upon looking up all the accusers were gone. He said to the woman, "Where are your accusers?", and then said,"Niether do I accuse you....go...and sin no more."
Jesus said quite clearly that He did the will of the Father, His Father.
Our Lord Jesus also cried when telling certain folks about the woes unto them, because they basically ruled over the people with an iron rod, listing the sins of the people, and making it too hard for them to enter into Gods kingdom.

I understand that this may be a touchy subject, but it needs to be said...

We have in our midst too many rulers and teachers of the Law, (high) priests - often called pastors, laymen (levites) and leaders, all who profess to minister Gods Word to the body, who teach the wrong thing about Our Father, painting a picture of God modelled on thier own ideas, rather than His Word. These people are no different to those who made Jesus cry as He told them of thier woes. Unfortunately, they teach too many people a lie about God, and present a god who rules with an iron rod and counts up our sins, and together with parents and others, who tell children that God is watching you and you'll go to hell for being naughty, they leave people with a false god.

Jesus died for our sins...should He therefore spend the rest of His time with an iron rod against us, counting our sins?

NO!

If you have been conditioned to think of God as a harsh debt collector, a brutish judge, I ask you to look in the Word and see how much He loves us, and ask Him to reveal that love to you until you cry out, "ABBA FATHER " and be set free to serve Him with gladness and joy.

This next bit is not entirely scriptural...

When Jesus was on the cross, He said,"Father, FORGIVE them, for they know not what they do." One might say He also showed to what extent that our forgiveness was to be in that one hand pointed one way, and the other in the opposite direction. The Word also tells us that He remembers our sins no more, it is as if they never happened. We have a great high priest,Jesus, who makes intercession constantly for us, for which we should be very thankful, and we are told to come boldly to the throne of grace, the mercy seat, and receive from God what He wants and desires to give us...HIS LOVE.

May these words help you and give you a true picture of God.
Resist the devil and He will flee from you, in Jesus Name.

Bless you!

 

[ladylovesJesus]

Br. bear

I have to say that last part you have mis quoted as do a lot of people.

Submit to God resist the devil and he will flee from you. I learnt this a long time back and have told others about how the first part is left out and is important.

Here is the scripture and verse with the one I was looking for and could not find. NIV James 4.7-8

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.

God bless

 

[Br. Bear]

Thank you...

Dear LadylovesJesus,

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I am aware of the whole text and can only say that while writing the thread I thought I could write a book on the subject or better still, recommend to read the Bible as it contains the complete text over and over, through and through.

In relation to your message, perhaps you could tell me the relevance of the scripture passage in light of the thread, expounding it for me/us?

I did try to point to the importance of our submitting in what I said...and do you know what?....when I wrote and re-read those words, I felt a need to express more the relevance of adding them, so...thank you again!

I thouroughly agree with you, SUBMIT to God is the prerequisite to any victory, and in this case, I was trying to point out that we need to resist the lies of the enemy and to take God at His word, thereby submitting to it and Him for if we say we believe and at the same time do not resist the devil and his evil lies, then we get in a mess, and in this case, it is the very sin of not believing God in His word to us that leaves us unable to submit...the enemy is crafty and if he can keep us from God by making Him out to be a tyrant, then he will suceed for a season in causing grief to believers and non-believers.
Remember that Adam was hiding, not looking for God so as to submit to Him.

I suppose that by first being made aware of the deception of the enemy, i.e. that God is an iron rod sin counter, allows folks to see that they can approach Him through Jesus Christ and they will in no way be cast away.

So....

I hope this clarifies things for any needy readers...and yes, it is so very important to SUBMIT TO GOD, and to Him alone.

Bless you!

 

[Chad]

I can relate to this feeling also. Curse the devil, praise JESUS! The devil is a liar indeed, but our Father in Heaven loves us so much = Jesus Christ says it all, done it all to prove this.

Brother Stephen, I dare say this is a perfect thread because it is a perfect, very serious matter to discuss and pray about. If we cannot grasp enough of GOD's love and forgiveness, what are we doing here preaching and worrying about His love? Does that not make us hypocrites in a way? We need to fully understand His love enough to march on rightfully and joyfully.