Ever had an opportunity to experience God’s love in nature? A few days ago I had that experience. It was as if a gush of love wrapped around my very being. God is love and love comes from God. We can know and experience it.
How much do we love ourselves, others and God? Is there a blockage in the channels? What can we do to unblock and break the barriers to receiving God’s love and giving it away?
Replace lies with truth
Sometimes the walls of deception block our hearts from receiving God’s love. The father of lies tells us that we are not lovable. This lie leads to another lie when finally one doesn’t recognize truth from a lie. The truth is God loves us and will never forsake us. Whatever we think about ourselves is reflected on how we treat ourselves and others.
One reason we don’t love others like we should is that we don’t think about God’s love or experience it ourselves. What causes us to remain in this unlovable state?
Relating to others
Thoughts of the past hold us hostage. If our past experiences were all good then we have less emotional baggage, but if they were negative we have more to deal with. All this relates to how we love and accept ourselves and others, especially close family members. We look at others from our own experiences. If our emotional experiences were positive then we can relate to others from those experiences. The negative ones are the ones we have issues with.
All this relates to how we experience God’s love in our daily lives. We certainly can experience the love of God by listening to uplifting music, reading His Word and praying. Spending time to experience God’s Presence can melt even the hardest of hearts. When His love blankets us with his glory what can we do except love Him back. From the overflow we can love ourselves and others. His love is limitless but ours has limits.
Even experiencing a drop of it is worth the wait and effort to get it.
Morning drive
This morning I drove to our cottage to get away from all of it. Just to be alone. Along the way looking at the Sleeping Giant (a landmark of our region) on Lake Superior I saw a light colored misty cloud that blanketed the waters. It was as if God was there in the cloud with His majesty and glory.
My heart melted in knowing He has not forgotten me. The beauty of God showered me with His eternal love.
I kept thinking I should stop at the Terry Fox Lookout and take a photo but the thought passed as I kept viewing the glorious scene as long as I could.
Then another opportunity presented itself when I turned onto another road. I missed it. Why didn’t I stop for the photo opportunity? In times like these when we know we missed it, the ‘should haves’ can keep us bound to the past even when it was only for a few minutes. Focusing our thoughts on the past keeps us bound to it and then we miss the present moment.
Even though I missed the photo opportunity, I can view the majesty of God’s love within my soul. His glorious beauty is forever etched in my heart. The blockages melted just like the ice on Lake Superior.
So often we think that another opportunity will come along. That’s what I thought about the missed photo opportunity. Perhaps. There will be another chance since we live here.
Listening to the voice inside would have let me have a beautiful photo for this blog. (I do have other photos of the Giant and the Lake.) Locals might say that you can always get photos of the Lake anytime, but not this one because the scene this morning was especially for me.
It was the perfect timing as trouble surrounded me like a whirlwind. Suddenly peace gushed over me and the waves inside my mind calmed.
God’s creation
Refreshing waters. Glorious mountains. Majestic heavens. Buds on leaves. Birds singing. How could I have missed it so many times? So often we direct our thoughts on the troubles all around us, when we could have been viewing the beauty of God’s creation.
I know life happens and brings on negative circumstances beyond our control, but we can’t park there. We have to move on, and go through them, and with God’s help we can do it.
What is this all about? God’s love. My own human heart melting. I’m a nature lover to a point, but this experience provided me with a new perspective on God’s love through nature. It’s wonderful.
I am not forsaken. God’s love has been there all along. I can love myself and others more when I experience God’s love myself.
Don’t let the blockages in the heart distract you from the love of God. His presence will melt them away if you let it happen. Submit to the process.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (NIV)
What about you? What part of nature draws you closer to God? What opportunities have you missed where God was speaking to you?