The Blessing Is In The Valley

I was talking to a friend yesterday and the two of us were discussing, some of the difficult things that we had personally experienced in the past year regarding health.  Please be clear, this was definitely not a whining session, it was just two friends sharing their hearts and experiences.

I told her that although I had gone through a very difficult year, I had no complaints.  God has been so incredibly good to me, that I dare not complain.   As we continued talking about our valley experiences, I shared with her,
that it was so interesting to me, how we all want that mountain top experience all of the time.  However, if the truth is known, it is during our most difficult seasons in life, that we experience our most significant spiritual growth.

While we are waiting for God to rescue us from our dark valley, and to lead us to higher ground, amazing things start to happen.   We suddenly start to remember that we really do need God’s help, and we start to reach out to Him more in prayer and through camping out in His word. We also start to realize that we really and truly do have a friend in Jesus.  Most importantly, we start to realize, that we have a loving, caring Father who sustains us in every way. He sustains us spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially, and when we can’t take another step, He picks us up and carries us through our difficult season.

I think our Father’s love becomes more evident to us in the valley because we are already leaning in, waiting to hear from Him regarding our situation.   We start to run to Him each day, seeking comfort and direction.  As we draw nearer to Him, He draws nearer to us and thus the spiritual growth begins.  So the next time you enter your valley season kicking and screaming, remember that although it does not seem like it at the time, God is blessing you because God is the blessing in the valley!

Psalm 23:4
⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley,^[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Micah 7:7
⁷ But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Isaiah 40:31
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Psalm 62:5
⁵ Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

Only God Can Satisfy

H ave you ever thought, I will be so happy when I finally get my next promotion at work, or my new car, or my new house?   It may even be that you have thought, when I get my new designer handbag I will be so happy.  Honestly, the list could go on and on. 

 If we are honest, it seems that we are always reaching for something.   I think that we are always reaching because things don’t bring satisfaction and joy and that we initially think that they will.   There are some people who think, if I could only meet the right person, I would be so happy.  They soon realize that there is no true satisfaction in people, just as there is no true satisfaction in things.   The only lasting satisfaction and joy that we will ever have are in Jesus Christ.   He is the only one that can fill our empty cups with joy.

 You see happiness is based on externals, whereas joy is based on our spiritual wellbeing which works from the inside out.  Happiness is fleeting, whereas joy can last indefinitely.   As long as you are in a relationship with God you can experience a joy-filled life.  The next time you are tempted to seek fulfillment in someone, or something other than God, pray first and ask yourself what I really hungry for am.   Usually, the answer almost always turns out to be, time alone with God.

  Don’t miss the signal.   It will be like craving chocolate and eating broccoli, expecting it to satisfy your craving for chocolate.  It will never work.   No matter how much broccoli you eat, you will still be craving chocolate until that craving is satisfied with chocolate. 

 When the desires of this world are trying to pull you into its web, reach for God first, and more than likely your cravings will be satisfied.    Remember, no matter how shiny the car is, or how big the house is, or how handsome the man is, God and only God can truly satisfy.  Have a joy-filled day, as you seek fulfillment in God and God alone.

     HAPPY EASTER

Isaiah 53: 5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.
1st Peter 1: 3
³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

As we all look forward to celebrating Easter this coming Sunday, I thought I would share with you what the word Easter means to me.

E – Eternal Life

  John 3:16
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 11: 25
²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
John 10: 27-30
²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

A – Amazing Grace

Ephesians 1:7 ESV
⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

S- Sins Forgiven

    Isaiah 43: 25
“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.
 Acts 3: 19
¹⁹ Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
  Ephesians 1: 7 ESV
⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
 Micah 7: 18-19
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us, you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

T- Triumph

 Colossians 2: 14-15 ESV
¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities^[a] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.^[b]

E- Empty Tomb

 John 20:1-18
20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. ² So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” ³ So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. ⁴ Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, ⁷ as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. ⁸ Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. ⁹ (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? “Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
¹⁷ Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and you’re God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

R- He is Risen

    Mark 16: 5-7
⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
  Roman 6: 4
⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
  Luke 24: 46-47
⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Because of the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross,  we have an Eternal home prepared for us with Him.   What joy that should bring to our hearts.  Praise God for His unfailing love and His Amazing Grace!

The Donkey And The Palm Branch

I am writing my blog this time, on the day that we observed as Palm Sunday, which is the first day of Holy Week.  Holy Week is the week leading up to Good Friday, which is the day of Jesus’s crucifixion.  Easter is the following Sunday when we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the grave. Some also call this day Resurrection Sunday.

After watching a church service this morning.  I decided to share a few things for those who may not know what the palm branches and the donkey are symbolic of, as we hear about Palm Sunday and Holy Week this week. Let’s read the scriptures first:

Matthew 21:1-5
21 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
⁵ “Say to Daughter Zion,  ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”^[a]
John 12:12
¹² The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
Zechariah 9: 9-10
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
¹⁰ I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River^[a] to the ends of the earth.

Are you as amazed as I am that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, chose to enter Jerusalem in a humble manner?  He sent for a lowly donkey to make his triumphant entrance.    You see Zechariah had already prophesied that the coming king would bring peace. The donkey is an animal of peace whereas the horse is an animal that is symbolic of war.  Although Jesus’ entrance here is one of peace, when He returns for His second coming He will be riding a horse and waging a righteous war.
Revelation 19: 11-16
¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice, he judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”^[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
King of kings and Lord of lords.

The palm branch symbolizes the four following things:

1. Victory over sin.
1st Corinthians 15: 56-57
⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
 Romans 6:14
¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master because you are not under the law but under grace.
2. Triumph over death.
Revelation 1:18
¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
 Romans 14:9
⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
3.  Peace
John 14:27
²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
 Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds, we are healed.
2nd Thessalonians 3:16
¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
 Isaiah 9:6
 For to us, a child is born, to us, a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
Eternal Life
John 10: 28-30
²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”
 1 John 5:13
¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
John 3:16
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
 John 3: 36
³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Palm Sunday is not the only time that we hear of palm branches being used.  Revelations speak of another time, when we all will hold palm branches in our hands, and what a joyful day of celebration that will be!

Revelation 7: 9-12
⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² sayings:

“Amen!
Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Praise God!!!

My prayer is that Holy Week will be a week when we will all really take time to focus on the gift of grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness that we have been given by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.  May God bless you to have a wonderful Easter!

Each quarter I have an opportunity to earn a prize from the company that I work for.  There are always two to three different prizes to select from in each category based on what you have achieved in sales that quarter.

Last week I shared with a friend that I really wanted to earn a black tote bag that was on the prize board. At that time I was still several hundred dollars away in sales, from earning the bag.   My friend and I talked about ideas for a sale that I could have with my customers so that I could earn the bag.  As we brainstormed, she gave me a great idea, and I was off and running.  I notified my customers but only 3 purchased right away. Several days went by and I heard from no one, but I didn’t stop believing that it could happen.  I just didn’t know-how.

As I was doing my quiet time one morning this past week, the scripture that I came across was Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh. findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
So I started praying, and I asked God for divine intervention.  I told Him that I really wanted the tote bag and I asked Him to do something miraculous, for this to be able to happen.  By the way, it just happened to be the day before my last day that to qualify for the prize.

Now, I know that some of you may be thinking that it was so petty for me to pray for a tote bag.  However, what God has revealed to me on more than one occasion, is that if something matters to me, it matters to Him no matter the size.
 I got up from my chair and put the picture of the tote bag right across from where I was sitting so that I could see it and stay focused on my goal, as I contacted my customers.  Well, I am Super Excited to share that God blessed me with one of the largest days that I have ever had in sales since I have been with this company.  All because I asked.

I had a customer that in the past two years had only purchased one small item from me, just one.  On the next to last day that I could possibly qualify she called me and made a huge purchase.  I knew immediately that God was working.

The next day another lady called that I had been waiting for a week to hear back from, and she ordered more than the first lady did.  God was writing this story, not me.  God totally gets the glory for my awesome week!
He is absolutely Amazing!!!

I love how He always does things in a way that only He can get the glory for.  There is no way that I could possibly take credit for how this all unfolded.  The message in this message is, no matter what it looks like right now, keep going. Pray and ask God for what your heart is desiring.  Don’t Give Up.  Keep believing and trusting.  Pray and keep working.  When you truly believe He will honor your faith.

Don’t Let Satan Distract You

Nehemiah 6:3
³ so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?”

Has God ever called you to do something, and the moment that you started to be obedient to His call, you were bombarded with obstacles and challenges from every direction?   I can honestly say that this has happened to me numerous times, and I am sure that I am not alone.

The first thing that we may think when this happens is, maybe this is not what I am supposed to be doing right now, or maybe I misunderstood what God was calling me to do.  Isn’t it funny how things can be so crystal clear to us one minute and the next minute we are second-guessing ourselves?   We allow Satan to plant his little devious seeds of doubt and fear in our heads.

Why I Love God’s Word

I once heard someone on TV ask; if your house were on fire, what would be the one
thing that you would be certain to grab first?  I thought then, and I honestly think now,
that I would have to say my Bible.  For years, my most treasured possession has been
my Bible.
You see, over the years I have experienced lots of really difficult challenges.  Some of
these challenges were almost unbearable, but spending time just soaking up God’s
word each day has been my saving grace. 
With God’s help, I have been able to muster up the strength and courage to keep
moving forward.  No matter what I am going through, or how difficult it is, I can pick
up my Bible, spend a few minutes reading it, and leave encouraged and comforted.  My
circumstances will not have changed during those moments, but something in God’s
word would have reminded me that He has me no matter what.  Reading the Bible
offers me peace that words cannot adequately describe. 
Something that is such a mystery to me, and the thing that I really love most about
God’s word, is no matter how many times that I have read it, it is fresh and new to me
each time.  The words may be familiar, but God reveals a new message through the
same scripture, depending on what is going on in my life.   That is amazing to me!  His
word is truly alive and powerful as mentioned in Hebrews 4:12.
When I read God’s word;  I am directed, I am reminded, I am comforted, I am
encouraged, I am convicted, I am enlightened, I am taught, I am blessed and most of all
I am transformed!
I enjoy starting my day with God’s word and ending it by reading a few scriptures right
before bed.  It helps me to release the cares of my day, and to have a sweet sleep, free of
worry.   I do not know what your current routine is for starting and ending your
day, but may I highly recommend that you start with God and end with God.  Trust me,
you will be so blessed by doing so, and when you are, please don’t keep it to yourself. 
Share your God story with
someone else, so that they too can experience the great blessing from this wonderful
treasure called the Bible.  If you do not quite see it as a treasure yet, just keep reading
and before you know it, you will not want to live without it, and at that point, you will
know that it has become your treasure also.

A Few Things About God’s Word

John 17:17
17  Sanctify them by [a]  the truth; your word is truth.
Romans 12:1-2
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper
worship.  2  Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will
is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
John 15:7
7  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be
done for you.
Matthew 4:4
4  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word
that comes from the mouth of God.’ [a] ”
Matthew 24:35
35  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Psalms 119:11
11  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Jeremiah 23:29
29  “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in
pieces?
Joshua 1:8-9
8  Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that
you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and
successful.  9  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
2nd Timothy 3:16
16  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness,
1st Peter 2:23
23  When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made
no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
Isaiah 55:11
11.so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
John 6:63
63  The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to
you—they are full of the Spirit [a]  and life.
Hebrews 4:12
12  For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts
and attitudes of the heart.
Psalms 1:2-3
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and
night. 3  That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in
season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

Two weeks ago 70% of the United States was covered in ice or snow.  This was definitely an all-time, historic winter event.  If you were surfing the news channels afterward, your heart was probably just as broken as mine, to see so many in the South, particularly Texas, without electricity and water.

Can you imagine being in temperatures of anywhere from 0-12 degrees, with no heat for days at a time?  Many had homes that were destroyed by water damage from busted pipes and they were having to find other places to temporarily house their families.

Self Care

One of the blessings of being a woman is possessing the ability to nurture and love those around us very well.  As a wife and a mother, I know firsthand, how wonderful it is to care for those that I love.  I also know how easy it is to put my own needs on the back burner because I tend to always see my family’s needs as my priority.  However recently, due to an illness, I have come to realize, that if I don’t take care of myself first, I will not be able to serve those that I care so deeply for.   

On my last Airplane flight, I remember the flight attendant giving instructions in the event that there was a flight emergency. She encouraged us to put our oxygen mask on first before we tried to assist anyone else.   Ladies Self-care is the oxygen mask that will keep us alive and well while we care for those that are so dear to us.   

W    ho Is Love?

1^st John 4:8
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
John 4:16
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

How Does God Love Us?

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 15:13
13 Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Ephesians 1:4-5
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
John 4:7-10
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

How Are We Commanded To Love?

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have a love for one another.”
John 15:12-14
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.13 Greater love has no one than this than to lay down one’s life for his friends.14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

How Should We Love One Another?

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
1 John 3:14-24
14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother[a] abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in the tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know[b] that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us[c] commandment.
1 John 5:1-3
5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

How Should Husbands and Wives Love One Another

21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.[a]
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body,[b] of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Love Your Enemies

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor[b] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,[c] 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren[d] only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors[e] do so?48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Romans 12:14
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Romans 12:17-21
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,”[a] says the Lord. 20 Therefore

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.