Closing the Gap Between What You Know is True and What Feels True Right Now

Yesterday we touched on how God loves us through His Spirit as we examined 1 John 4:12-16. Let’s dig into that a little more today.

¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. ¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

1 John 4:12-16 (bold emphasis mine)

In the launch post for this series I shared with you that, since leaving a full-time career to pursue God’s Kingdom work more intently, I’ve struggled quite a bit with anxiety and doubt. My brain comprehends what God says about His love in His Word, but as a flesh and blood organ, there are limitations to what it can process and absorb.

Christian Sibling, try as we might to read more, study more, understand more about God’s love, our brains – despite how intricate and wonderous God has made them – are physical in nature and just can’t push the fullness of God’s loves to our innermost selves. This is what makes the Holy Spirit such an incredible gift from God. As we talk and read today, I hope you’ll come to see just how much God loves you through His gift of His Spirit. Let’s start by reading a little more about Holy Spirit.

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

Romans 8:26

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

Have your highlights ready to share? I’m mentally wiping the ginger cookie crumbs I know would be on my notebook off so I can share mine with you. Here they are:

• Jesus asked God to give us Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, 26).
• We receive Holy Spirit when we repent, desire to turn our lives around, and ask God to forgive us of our sins in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:38).
• Holy Spirit is Christ’s advocate, reminding us of Christ’s teachings and helping us discern and understand what is true as we become transformed into the image of Christ (John 14:16-17, 26).
• Holy Spirit also intercedes for us, helping us pray when we don’t know what is wrong or what to say (Romans 8:26).
• Holy Spirit gives us power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).

Dear heart, we have already discussed how God loves us first – and sent His Son to restore us to right relationship with Him, but our Heavenly Father didn’t stop there. When Jesus returned to the Father in Heaven, He and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to dwell inside every Believer, in our innermost being, because He loves us too much to leave us alone. He knew we would forget His teachings, become distracted, get bogged down in the junk of this world, and He loves us too much to let us stray so He gave us Holy Spirit.

When we read or hear God’s Word, Holy Spirit teaches us what God wants us to understand. Holy Spirit helps us discern what is true in a world full of lies and discern what is right in God’s eyes (righteous) in a world full of opinions and options. Holy Spirit interprets our thoughts and feelings to God in prayer when we can’t even sort them out ourselves. Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome the enemy and the ability to love others as God loves and the self-control to fight worldliness and sin and abide in Christ.

My flesh and blood brain may not be able to fully grasp God’s love for me, but praise God, it doesn’t have to because Holy Spirit pours God’s love directly into my innermost being!

Beloved, when you find yourself in one of those moments where you know God loves you, but don’t feel like God loves you, stop trusting your flesh and blood senses and start trusting the Spirit inside you, the very Spirit of God, who speaks only God’s truth to you. Your brain will let you down, so will your heart, but God’s Spirit never fails because God never fails.

Today’s Reflection

1. Maybe Holy Spirit isn’t a part of the Trinity you’ve learned much about until today. I certainly am learning more about Him this year than every before. Whether you’re just learning about Holy Spirit or you’ve been attuned to the Spirit for years, how does knowing that God’s Spirit lives inside you help you better understand the fullness of God’s love for you?
2. Holy Spirit provides support for Believers in many ways. Review the verses above again and reflect on which way(s) you have experienced Him most; in which ways would you like to experience Him more?
3. We’ve seen already this week that God loves us first and nothing we do can ever make Him love us more or love us less; He simply loves us. Today we also discovered that He sent us Holy Spirit because He loves us too much to leave us as we are or to leave us to the world. Consider Romans 8:38 in light of today’s discussion.
   • How does Holy Spirit help bring the promise of Romans 8:38 to fruition in our lives?

Consider Praying with Me

Heavenly Father, as I learn more about You love and care for me I can’t help but feel truly humbled and also more secure in You and in my daily walk. Sometimes God, You feel so big and so distant that it’s easy for my mind to think and my heart to feel that You don’t have time for me or can’t possibly notice me. But God Your Word, Your love letter to me, tells a very different story. You are El Roi, God Who Sees Me, and through Jesus Christ You have given me Your in-dwelling Spirit. God, You not only see me and love me, but You want to be near me, nearer to me than any person ever could! Thank You Lord for Holy Spirit, for truth and direction, for intercession, and discernment and so much more! Learning more about Holy Spirit, I realize that God You love me as I am and You love me too much to leave me that way! Precious Lord, let my life be a living testimony to Your love! I commit to listening to Holy Spirit and to walking in Your way, loving others as You have loved me, drawing closer to You each day! Amen.