Ep. 5 How to Use This Journal: The Love of God
1. Tell God what you saw in His character of love from today’s reading.
In 1st John 4:8-16 the Bible tells us that “God is love.” This is the essence of His character. Therefore everything we see in the Bible that describes what God is like in character is profoundly and beautifully revealing this central truth to us. A great example of this is found in Exodus 34:5-7, when Moses asked to see the glory of God. What God does is declare His character to Moses. Here are some attributes of His character He shares with Moses: He is merciful, gracious, long-suffering, abounding in goodness, truth, He forgives and yet doesn’t clear the guilty. All of these character traits are expressions of God’s love. I’ve discovered that even God’s judgment and anger are expressions of His love. God is like a wounded Husband who is jealous and hurt by His wife’s continual unfaithfulness. According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, it is by beholding His glory (character of love) that we become changed into the same character. This first journal entry is designed to help you get more intimately acquainted with what God is like. When someone is on a date, they are primarily interested in getting to know the other person. What they are like in character. Think of this time as being on a date with God every morning and allowing Him to make known to you what He is really like. As you write down your discoveries in this section, try to make it personal by writing “You are…” For example, based on Exodus 34:5-7, you could write, “You are merciful, gracious, forgiving…”, etc. Tell God by using “You are” (or similar phrases) to tell Him what you saw in Him personally. In your Bible reading, the revelation of His love will be seen in any member of the Divine Godhead; Father, Son or Holy Spirit. Yet the greatest revelation of God’s love is seen most vividly and clearly in Jesus and Him crucified for our salvation, which you will reserve for the next journal entry…