We cannot imagine anywhere close to how great God is, so we cannot elevate any estimate of who He is which rises above who He actually is.

Yet, we can elevate our own understanding by reading His Word, the Bible, and we can also elevate the understanding that others have of God by sharing the truths of the Bible.

In the Garden of Eden, as we read in the beginning of the Book of Genesis, the deception was very clearly stated: "Did God really say ..."

You can substitute 'really' with others words like 'indeed', 'actually', or 'truly' ...but however it is phrased, it was a challenge to what God said.

And today, we still have a constant argument that tries to propose that same point ...as if saying the Bible is not truly God's Word.

I've mentioned many times how there is clearly sacrificial love in this world that clearly stands above other forms of love that we often define as 'love'. But, admitting that love exists ...and also accepting that God exists, where do we go from there???

A very sad realization is when someone does mostly harm to themselves by believing something not to be true. And in the Garden of Eden it was not just one statement of "Did God really say ...", but additional statements were presented which not only questioned what was said, but how things actually are. And we can accept hardships, and even tragedies such as hurricanes and tornadoes, yet when we resolve to come together in our caring ways to help others through those moments ...well, most of us call that a form of 'love'. But, if someone was not home and we destroyed their house and blamed it on a tornado ...that is deception. And it is a very difficult thing to realize we can't trust someone. And someone was trying to breach that trust by distracting and attempting to disrupt that beginning relationship with God in the Garden of Eden.

And trust, or the lack of trust, are both built. Or it could be sadly said that trust can also begin to fall apart. And also, once it begins to erode or be torn down, it is most of the time difficult to rebuild. So, the additional statement made in the Garden of Eden was even more impactful. A motive was presented that would imply a deliberate desire to deceive ...an ulterior motive, aimed at hiding the truth, and presenting something that was not true. That works to quickly crumble the trust ...and works opposite of 'love'.

All of us likely having stories of when we were hurt, and some stories are really gut-wrenching. We can endure many things, yet when we feel trust and love are not a part of our lives ...well, that seems to be the most difficult. And in the Garden of Eden ...it hit the gut.

It is difficult to live peacefully in these circumstances, and when someone tells you that you are not loved ...it's like the word 'live' spelled backwards.

So, when I hear someone list reasons why they claim God is not loving ...well, I know that some people believe it when that is said. And I also know that somewhere in the world (and sadly many places in the world) someone is hurting because they are believing that lie. And that is gut-wrenching to me. God does love us.

Yes, I believe in a loving God. And I know of no love greater than His sacrificial love ...the love Jesus showed us through His crucifixion, and the love that is continually shown to us if we accept the truth of it.

And yes, it is a simple start to believe that our loving God wants us to know of His love. He certainly has not hidden that fact ...and He hates it when we try to hide that truth, or if we believe others who have cast doubt on that truth. 

God doesn't hate those who cast doubt on the truth, but He hates the lies and deception which cause us to live our lives without the trust and comfort that we would otherwise have if we did not doubt.

Yes, God does wholeheartedly want us to know about His love ...and I think it unreasonable to think that a loving God would not let us know this.

And God also prepares us ...so we can steadfastly hold onto the truth of His love. In the beginning Chapters of the Book of Genesis, we are shown how we can be deceived, so we can avoid that very thing from happening to us.

And the entire Old Testament of the Bible shows us how God was leading, how we humans failed, and how God continues to work with our failures.

And God made sure that the Bible was preserved for us. 

So, please don't allow yourself to subjected to so much unnecessary doubt ...don't join those who say, "Did God really say ...?" We have a very carefully preserved record of what God said. God did not just leave us in the dark ...on the first day of Creation God created the Light. And He made it so we can see the truth.

I can't imagine our loving God not revealing to us who He is. And I don't have to fret ...because He has revealed it to us.