KNOWING, BELIEVING AND TRUSTING IN YEHOVAH

Anyone can be joyful when riding high in living life and are not undergoing trials or temptation. However, when trials and temptations do come, and they will do we at that time start to doubt God's love for us? It is precisely then that we need to remember that our God and Father Yehovah wants us to keep ourselves in His love at all times, especially when we are being tried and tested by various trial and temptations. 

Notice what Jesus says to encourage us:

Mark 11:22-23: .... Have faith in God. For truly I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain [trial, temptation, difficulty], Be you removed, and be you cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he has asked for shall come to pass [in God's time]; that he shall have whatsoever he has asked for. Remember that our God and Father always answers our prayers, but He does so as it is good for us because he knows the end from the beginning and acts according to what is best for us short term and long term!

The apostle John tells us very simply how we can keep ourselves in God’s love: “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).

The word ‘dwell’ here means “to stay in a state of expectancy.”

In other words, God wants us to expect his love to be renewed in us every day. We’re to live every day in the knowledge that our God Yehovah has always loved us and will always love us.

In reality, most of us flit in and out of God’s love according to our emotional ups and downs. We feel safe in his love only if we are doing well, but we are unsure of his love whenever we’re tempted or have failed him, fallen short of the mark. When trouble comes our way, that is exactly the time we need to trust in His love for us, as His sons and daughters!

Jeremiah 31 offers a wonderful illustration of Yehovah’s love. Israel was in a backslidden state. The people had grown fat and prosperous and were indulging in all kinds of wickedness. Suddenly, their lusts turned sour. They lost all pleasure in fulfilling their sensual appetites. Israel cried out, “You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained bull; restore me, and I will return, for you are Yehovah, my God. Surely, after my turning, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck myself on the thigh; I was ashamed, yes, even humiliated, Because I bore the reproach of my youth” (Jeremiah 31:18-19). I am sure we have all felt that way from time to time.

Listen to God’s response to Israel. “… For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him,’ says Yehovah” (Jeremiah 31:20).

God was telling his people, “I had to chasten you and speak hard words of truth to you. Even then you sinned against me, doing so despite the grace and mercy that I extended to you. You turned against my love, rejecting me. Nevertheless, my heart of compassion was moved deeply toward you. I remembered you in your struggle, and I will surely have mercy on you. I’ll freely forgive and restore you.”

This will happen completely after the return of the lord Messiah Jesus when his God and Father sends him down at the end of this age to take his place on the throne of David at Zion.

May that day soon come, but in the meantime, we are to love our God and Father Yehovah with all our hearts, minds, and strength, with the love He gives us to be able to do so by His indwelling presence! Which is another example of His amazing grace toward all who believe and trust in Him.