See God’s justice. Understand that God gives people what they truly deserve based on His full and clear understanding of what they did and why they did it. He applies equity to moral situations. Look for glimpses of God’s justice through the natural order of the universe (such as the law of cause and effect), through the human heart (an internal sense of right and wrong and a conscience), through His role as a the ultimate judge of history, through the work He accomplished on the cross, and through the promise of eternal reward or punishment. Respond to God’s justice by embracing Jesus, refusing to seek vengeance on those who have wronged you (trusting God to judge them), taking comfort in God’s justice, and meditating on the effects of God’s final judgment (spiritual reward and loss).
See God’s love. Realize that God loves you personally and specifically. His love is an unconditional gift; you can’t earn it. He doesn’t love you because of what you do, but because of who He is. He loves you enough to discipline you when He sees you suffering because of wrong choices, but He never stops loving you when you make them. God wants the absolute best for you. He stands ready to provide whatever it will take for you to enjoy an abundant life. God’s thoughts, intentions, desires, and plans are always for your good and never for your harm. He is kind, open, approachable, frank, and eager to be your friend. God emotionally identifies with your pain, joy, hopes, and dreams, and has chosen to allow your happiness to affect His own. He takes pleasure in you just for who you are, completely apart from your performance and/or accomplishments. God is actively and creatively orchestrating people, circumstances, and events to express his affection and selective correction for your highest good. Look for glimpses of God’s love in creation, through His providential kindness to everyone, through the Incarnation (God’s love compelled Him to take on human flesh to save us), through discipline (when He protects us from self-destructive behavior), through the Holy Spirit, and through Jesus’ life and work. Respond to God’s love by receiving His love into your heart by faith, trusting in His love and relying on it, and giving it away to others by serving them.
See God’s faithfulness. Rely on the fact that God is trustworthy, dependable, loyal, resolute, steadfast, honorable, and constant. He keeps His promises. His character never changes. Look for glimpses of God’s faithfulness through His creation (physical laws operating with observable regularity and precision), His people (He fulfills His promises to them, performs miracles for them, etc.), His Spirit (as the Spirit produces good fruit in people), His character (He has perfect integrity), His Word (the Bible records His reliable work), His Son’s life, and the way in which He shapes your life (helping you overcome weakness, temptation and failure; forgiving you when you sin). Respond to God’s faithfulness by confessing sins and accepting God’s forgiveness and grace to move into a better future, bringing your problems to Jesus to solve, placing your hope in the One who will never let you down, and telling someone each day how God has been faithful to you so they’ll be motivated to seek Him themselves.
