Today we are going to take a posture of peace by gaining a greater sense of belonging.
Posture is a short audible fist bump to remind you God is with you in everything.
Together we're going to be emboldened to take a daily posture of perfect peace.
So all last week we talked about the love of God and we spent time together in first
John chapter 4, which is a treasure of a chapter. I love it so much. And as I was preparing for
this week of episodes, I just so happened to look back on the episode that aired this time last year
because I can do that now because posture is officially one year old as of last week. So I
can actually go back to this time last year and say, what were we talking about a year ago? And
the episode that aired, I believe it was actually the date was February 21st, 2020, was called
You Belong to Love. And I read from, you guessed it, first John 4. It's like the Lord is bringing
me back to this truth to replant myself, soak it up, and gain a greater sense of belonging.
And I think it's just so cool how what the Lord was speaking to us about a year ago,
he stirred up in my heart again to share again. And that's actually encouraging to me. That's
never discouraging when the Lord brings me back to a truth because this is the transformation
process, right? We are learning, we are practicing, we are becoming. We are learning, we are practicing,
we are becoming. Our relationship with God is never about trying to arrive at the
peak of all understanding on a particular biblical topic, which that's not possible anyway
because the revelation of God is limitless. But our relationship with God is about being
transformed into his image with an ever-increasing glory. We are going from glory to glory.
That's 2 Corinthians 3.18. You and I are living a lifestyle of being on a journey, not arriving
at the peak of all understanding. And so today we are back in first John chapter 4, and I'm
going to be reading today from verses 3 and 4. It says,
And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the
Antichrist, which you heard was coming and is now in the world already. Little children,
you are from God and have overcome them. For he who is in you is greater than he who is in
the world. Amen. I'm about to have my first child, and over the last, I don't know,
eight months or so, I have been exposed, maybe even overexposed, to lots of information and
advice on childbirth. And I think what has caught me by surprise the most is the amount of fear
that is attached to childbirth. It's like people expect you to be afraid. And it got me thinking
how much fear is normalized in this world, not just with childbirth, but really with almost
every aspect of our lives. It's like expected to be a part of our everyday life. It's expected
that you would be anxious instead of excited about starting something new, new job, new school,
new move, new season of life. It's expected that you would be fearful, not peaceful,
when facing the unknown. It's expected that you would be overwhelmed by hard circumstances
instead of remaining confident that you can overcome in those hard circumstances.
For those who believe in Jesus, who are from God, we belong to God, not to fear.
We have a different normal than the world. So where is your sense of belonging today?
Are you living aware of the one who is living in you, who is greater than anything living outside
of you? You know, a sense of belonging is usually defined as a feeling of belonging, right? But
here's what's so cool. In the kingdom, our senses do not dictate what is true. Instead, the truth
dictates our senses. Our sense of belonging is not rooted in what we may be feeling. It's rooted
in the truth. You and I are being transformed into his image and likeness. God is not being
transformed into ours. And this is really good news. My prayer for you today is that you
gain a greater sense of belonging today.
by experiencing a greater awareness of his presence in you. By the way, Thanksgiving is a
great way to sharpen your awareness and align yourself with the truth. Give thanks for what
is true today. Find out what is true by reading his word. He is with you. He is for you. And you
belong to him. And be encouraged by this. The proof of his presence is not found in what you
may currently be feeling or seeing or even thinking. The proof of his presence in you
is in his word. It's in what he has promised and he has said, he will never leave you nor forsake
you.