And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.. 1 John 4:16

Speaking of this glorious truth James Smith wrote,”The sweeter the truth — the more backward we often are to receive and believe it. Therefore it must be presented to us again and again. What is more pleasant than the fact that “God is love!”

Yet so quickly we doubt it, or forget it, or fail to realize it. Therefore the Gospel presents it to us again and again, and in almost every possible form. Twice within the scope of a few verses, John tells us that “God is love!” 1 John 4:8, 16.

Belief in this portrayal of God lies at the root of our holiness, happiness, and peace. To the extent that we believe that “God is love” — we will . . .
consecrate ourselves to His service,
enjoy peace in our consciences,
and be happy in His ways.

God loves us, and therefore He planned our salvation, sending His one and only Son to take away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself. He also sent His Holy Spirit to teach us our need of Christ and lead us to Him. And, finally, He has put His blessed Word in our hands so that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope.

God loves us — and therefore He . . .
  chastens us,
  strips us, and
  empties us!

He will not let us live satisfied without Himself.

God is love — therefore He has provided an atonement for all our sins. His justice is satisfied, and Heaven is prepared for us!

Yes, though we were sinners by nature, and deeply feel it — though we are not all that we wish to be, and deeply deplore it — yet God loves us!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, who in His love and in His pity, has redeemed me!

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10

  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled ; – Hebrews 12:15

Underneath the ground of Belgium’s Flanders Field, one of the deadliest battlefields of World War I, a very dangerous and deadly secret lies. It’s so deadly, in fact, that it’s caused a very big problem for the Belgian government.

You see, all across this field, artillery shells are surfacing more than 90 years after they were fired. Still unexploded, many are still very capable of killing. Some are unearthed by farmers and construction workers, while others simply work their way up through the soil. Dozens of full-time workers cannot keep up with them. And even worse, thousands of these projectiles contain poisonous gas.

It’s one thing to recognize something that can cause immense damage when it’s obvious. I’m sure you didn’t have to tell the soldiers fighting in World War I to avoid those artillery shells at all costs! However, when things such as these lie dormant for so long, they become all the more precarious because they are an unseen danger.

In much the same way, many Christians today hold on to bitterness for years, even decades, before it finally comes up to the surface or is unearthed by a particular situation. And when that happens, it can often be damaging, and even deadly, for relationships between friends and family.

So if you have any “unearthed” bitterness in your heart, be sure you deal with it by forgiving the person it concerns and even talking with them about it. Don’t let buried feelings of contempt harm your relationships with friends and family because those relationships are some of God’s greatest gifts!

Pray and ask God to reveal to you any “unearthed” bitterness, no matter how old, you might have in your heart toward another person. If you find you do carry buried resentment, forgive that person and let them know you’ve let it go.–Senior Living

– – – –be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1Timothy 4:12

J. Allan Petersen tells of a little boy who was consistently late coming home from school. His parents warned him one day that he must be home on time that afternoon, but nevertheless he arrived later than ever. So his mother met him at the door and said nothing.

At dinner that night, the boy looked at his plate. He had received a slice of bread and a glass of water. Then, he looked at his father’s full plate and then at his father, but his father remained silent. The boy was crushed.

The father waited for the full impact to sink in, then quietly took the boy’s plate and placed it in front of himself. He took his own plate of meat and potatoes, put it in front of the boy, and smiled at his son. When that boy grew to be a man, he said, “All my life I’ve known what God is like by what my father did that night.”

As a Christian, you may be the best picture of God others will see. And while we’ll never be perfect representations of a completely holy God, we can exemplify His attributes—like grace, love, joy, and peace—in our daily lives to a watching world.

While most non-believers may not pick up a Bible, they will see God in how we conduct ourselves. So live your life to reflect Jesus to a watching world!

Pray that God would help you clearly reflect who He is to a watching world.(Senior Living)