Scripture Reading
1 John 4:7–8
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Ezekiel 36:26
26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.[a]
Reflection
John teaches that love is one of the clearest evidences that someone has truly experienced God. This does not mean Christians love perfectly, but it does mean that God’s love begins to transform us over time.
To “know God” is more than knowing facts about Him. It means experiencing Him personally. When we truly encounter God’s love, it changes how we relate to people. A heart of stone becomes a heart of flesh.
Reflection Questions
Do I merely know about God’s love, or have I personally experienced it?
Is God’s love changing the way I treat people?
Where do I still have a hard heart toward someone?
What would it look like for God to make my heart more tender?
Prayer
Lord, I do not want to only know facts about You. I want to know You personally and deeply. Let Your love transform my heart. Remove anything hard, bitter, or resistant in me, and give me a heart that reflects Your compassion toward others. Amen.