May the Lord direct your hearts. 2 Thessalonians 3:5
It is possible to endure persecution and not feel the love of Christ, or to worship for years in a church and not feel the love of Christ. You do not want this to be your story.
People who aren’t Christians endure great pain and carry great sorrows, too. They do it by “gritting their teeth,” or in Britain, “with a stiff upper lip.” But Paul is saying to these believers, “I want something better for you. I want your soul to be filled with the love of God.”
Here’s an example of God’s love flooding a person’s soul, so you’ll be encouraged to pray for more of this yourself. This vivid description comes from Blaise Pascal, a Roman Catholic, and a mathematician and scientist. So, don’t dismiss God’s love saying, “Certain more emotional types of people have these experiences.”
Pascal had an extraordinary experience of God’s love. He scribbled down what happened to him and sewed the notes into his coat, where they were found after his death.
This day of grace 1654, from about half past ten, to about half after midnight. Fire! God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars. Security, feeling, joy, peace—God of Jesus Christ… Greatness of the human soul… Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy… Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ—May I never be separated from him.
What happened to Pascal? His heart was directed into the love of God and the patience of Christ. Our experiences will differ, but God is able to direct your heart, too. Ask Him.
Have you ever dismissed (or are you now dismissing) God’s love? Why?
