Know & Trust

“So we know and believe the love God has for us” (1 John
4:16 RSV).

What struck me when this passage was brought to my attention
were the two verbs know and believe. We know the love of God. We
believe the love of God.

The New International Version says, “We know and rely on the
love of God.” Let me say it this way: We know and trust the love of God.

The verse starts out with the word “so,” which means this
conclusion is based on the previous verse: “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus
is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on
the love God has for us” (1 John 4:15-16), That is how we know, and that
is how we believe.

This post coordinates with today’s reading in the Same
Page Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily reading
plan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading with
us.