"I Can Depend on God"

Scripture: "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us ..." -1 John 4:16, NIV

As I have mentioned to the Devotional family in the past, I grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina and spent my pre-teen years, teenage years and most of my twenties as a member of the New Calvary Baptist Church. During the time of my pre-teen years, we had our Spiritual Choir that would sing on first Sundays. In conjunction with today's message, the Lord reminded me of a song the choir use to sing entitled "I Can Depend on God". The song had lyrics like this:

I can depend on God,
I can depend on God,
I can depend on God,
I can depend on God,

Through the storm,
Through the rain,
Through the sickness,
and the pain!

I can depend,
I can depend,
I can depend,
I can depend on God!

If truth were told, this song can serve as everyone's testimony. Truly, there was a circumstance or instance where man has failed you, but because you depended on God, He left you the umbrella to endure the rain. He provided you shelter during the storm! He provided you healing through the sickness! He provided you comfort for your pain! Within today's text, we find out another aspect of God we can depend on.

Today's focal book is 1 John. This was the first of three books written by John the Revelator, who also wrote the book of Revelation. Within this chapter, John focused on two central themes: the testing of spirits and God's love and ours. Within today's main scripture, it falls into the second theme dealing with God's love and ours.

Within the (a) clause of today's scripture, we find another aspect on how we can depend on God. The author writes "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us". This lets me know that not only do we depend on this love, we have an assurance of this love. It reminds me of the old hymn "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine, Oh what a foretaste of Glory Divine" and you know the rest. Ladies and gentlemen, though your mate/spouse may not love you the way you desire, you can depend and be assured about God's love! When your family members do not get your uniqueness, that's okay because you just depend and rest in the assurance of God's love! When your co-workers quite do not get you and what you are about, that's okay as well because there's a God who loves you and one He wants you to lean on and depend on. We love that this love from God is real because long before you and I were born, He sent His Son Jesus from Heaven to live amongst us in this terrible world, to take on sin, live thirty-three years, die on Calvary's cross, and rose again to give us victory over the enemy. I don't know about you, but because of a love like that, why not depend on God! Why not be assured knowing that He loves you and He cares? Why not rock in His arms when you feel alone? Why not lean on Him on an everyday basis? His love is real!

In closing, I am happy to know that there's a God I can depend on, not for getting me through sickness, pain, rain, and the storms, but I can depend on His love and know that His love for me is real and genuine! When you have a God like that, wouldn't that make you want to serve Him a little harder? Wouldn't that make you want to love your fellow man a little bit harder? Wouldn't bring about a change in your walk or talk?