Our verse this week is 1 John 4:7:
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him]."
Also, here is how this passage (1 John 4:7-10) reads in The Message.
"My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God."
I lived in Mexico for a while studying Spanish. When I first arrived and moved in with a local family, it was difficult to get to know each other, but as I began to practice my Spanish and improve my skills, we all became very close. God is love…I come to know God better as I begin speaking His language.
This is a choice not a feeling. Sinful nature is not going to naturally desire the things of the Spirit, but if the Spirit lives inside of you you will find that once you start to feed it it will begin to grow!
So, make a decision right now that you are going to go about loving everyone you meet this week (this includes those you've known for years!) and as an effect, you are going to be growing in the Spirit more and more each day! This is a promise from God. You want to know Him? Then love! Go on...see what happens! :)
