Thoughts on abiding in God's love...

There are just a few evidences of the recent winter snow and ice storm remaining.  Occasionally I still see a small pile of snow in the yards I pass by on my walk.  That is less surprising then the already evident signs that, in a few short weeks, spring is coming.  Buds are already appearing on the ends of naked tree branches. The hellebore in my front yard is already blooming.  All around me signs of life are exposed that were buried under the snow less than two weeks ago. Buried under the snow, the trees, the flowers, the plants roots were still doing their work, still drawing life and sustenance from the soil.

If I've seen it once, I've seen it hundreds of times.  The storms of life expose how deeply rooted we are in Christ. Specifically, hard times expose how deeply rooted, how confident we are in His love.  If we are abiding in God's love, if we are deeply rooted in His love, then we do not easily fall prey to satan's lies that come when we face hard times.  During those times of vulnerability, satan whispers, "God must not love you or He would not be allowing this to happen." Those thoughts will inevitably come, fueled by the one who wants to separate you from the very source of life that will help you to survive the storm.  satan's whole motivation is to steal, kill and destroy.  he doesn't want you to survive the winter seasons of your soul.  

In my own life, I've had to saturate my mind with the truth of how much God loves and delights in me.  Especially in times of trial and testing I continually have to renew my mind with the promises of His never-ending love, care and faithfulness.  I have also found that keeping a written journal of His blessings in my life has helped me to see that even in my worst of times, His love and care have been evident.  My point? I've found that abiding in God's love has a whole lot to do with where I let my mind and thoughts dwell. I don't have to listen to the thoughts of the enemy, or even to the tangled up web of my own emotions. I can, by an act of my will, choose to plant the truth in my mind and to dwell on that.  Abiding in truth and abiding in God's love are inseparable in my opinion. That is the good soil I want my roots to be planted in.

still following,

  

Also joining THOUGHT PROVOKING THURSDAYS