1 John 4:16 (NIV)

Here’s a clear and heart-centred explanation of 1 John 4:16 (NIV):

> “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”

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🌿 What 1 John 4:16 Really Teaches

1. God’s love is not just something He gives — it is who He is.

When John says “God is love,” he’s describing God’s very nature.
Everything He does — His mercy, His correction, His guidance — flows from perfect love.

2. We are called not only to know God’s love, but to rely on it.

John highlights two actions:

• know God’s love (understand it)

• rely on God’s love (trust it daily)

This means God’s love is meant to be our foundation, our stability, and our confidence, even when life feels unstable.

3. Living in love proves that God lives in us.

To “live in love” means:

• showing compassion

• forgiving

• being patient

• loving even when it’s hard

These are signs that God’s presence is active within us. Love becomes the fruit of a God-filled life.

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✨ Short Devotional

God doesn’t call us to love from our own strength; He invites us to draw from His limitless love. When we choose to love others, even in small ways, we are living in His presence and reflecting His character. The more we rely on God’s love, the more freedom, security, and peace we experience.

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🙏 Prayer

Lord, thank You for Your perfect love. Help me not only to know it, but to trust in it deeply every day. Let Your love shape my thoughts, my words, and my actions. Fill me so completely with Your presence that others may see Your love through me. Amen.

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🧡 Practical Applications

• Pause daily to thank God for at least one way He has shown love to you.

• Respond with love to someone difficult today — a small act can reveal Christ’s heart.

• Replace fear with trust by praying, “Lord, I rely on Your love” whenever anxiety rises.

• Practice forgiveness, even silently in your heart, as a step of living in God’s love.

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🌟 One-Sentence Encouragement:

You are fully loved by God, and when you rest in His love, you become a living testimony of His presence.