“God will never disappoint us… If deep in our hearts we suspect that God does not love us and cannot manage our affairs as well as we can, we certainly will not submit to His discipline. …To the unbeliever the fact of suffering only convinces him that God is not to be trusted, does not love us. To the believer, the opposite is true.” ~ Elizabeth Elliot
Last week at church I met a beautiful 33 year old woman. We’ll call her Sylvia. We chatted for a little bit before and after service, and I learned that Sylvia was single and had recently had a brain aneurism that left her paralyzed from the neck down. She was quick to give God praise for the miracle He had done in her life by healing her, as she could now walk and even drive.
Despite her gratitude towards God, Sylvia also confessed that she struggles with embracing God’s love for her. She said, with tears in her eyes, “things didn’t turn out the way I had hoped.”
I think many could echo her words about their own lives…”things didn’t turn out the way I had hoped.” Also like Sylvia, they may conclude in their hearts, “Does God really loves me?”
It’s natural to wonder if God loves you when you are going through hardships.
Even though Jesus has told us that in this world we will have trials (John 16:33), we tend to listen to the enemy of our soul that whispers quietly in our ears, “If He really loved you this wouldn’t have happened.” And we carelessly agree with him and allow ourselves to accept this lie.
The devil is called the father of lies (John 8:44) because he constantly tries to deceive. One of the biggest ways he tries to delude followers of Christ is to convince them they are not loved by God.
Although we know that God is love, our tendency is to define His love by how smoothly our lives are going. If things are going conveniently, we feel loved by God.
Adversity is looked upon as a punishment from God.
When we have feelings of rejection and/or our dreams are shattered, Satan taunts us with thoughts like “If God really loved you, He would change your circumstances.” This couldn’t be further from the truth.
You see, the truth is that God cares more about having an intimate relationship with you than He does about giving you your heart’s yearnings. Certainly He wants to fulfill those desires too, but He wants you to learn to die to your self first. This is a tough lesson and can take a life time to understand (Side note: this is especially hard if you are facing a tragedy and are in deep anguish. Grieving is a process and mourning takes time.).
It is through your pain and sorrow that you not only realize your need for a strong, powerful and loving God, but you also grasp the reason for your very existence. It’s in the midst of your suffering that your faith will be stretched the most. When the difficulties come, you are at a crossroad. You will have to choose to either trust that God really loves you and won’t let you down, or you will believe Satan’s lies that He doesn’t, and walk away. It is at this intersection of truth that many choose the wrong road and turn their backs on Jesus.
Suffering is a gift from God.
This is why in James it says to “consider it all joy when trials come your way.” It’s in your time of suffering that God has an opportunity to reveal His love for you. Only Christ can set you free from the lies you are believing. You can find joy in the midst of your sorrow when you have a better understanding of who you are in Christ and how deeply He loves you.
If you focus on God’s truths, He will use the pain and negative things in your life to transform you (Romans 8:28). The process hurts, but the Bible calls this a “divine discipline” (Hebrews 12). In verse 11 we are told, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
I can look back on my life and see the beautiful tapestry God has weaved with my painful circumstances. If it wasn’t for those dark valleys I had to walk through, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I have endured a lot of pain and hardship, but I have never walked alone. Jesus has always escorted me.
Sorrow is a pathway to the abundant love God has for you.
Dear friend, Jesus will never abandon you. You must, however, do your part and grant Him access to your will so that you surrender to His. This is how you build your confidence in Him.
Today, if you are questioning God’s love for you, I encourage you to allow yourself to bathe in His love. This means, spending quality time with Him in His Word and in prayer, getting to know Him. Put on some worship music and pour your heart out to your Father in Heaven. Be real with Him about all of your burdens. Let it all out! He sees your heart anyways and it blesses Him when you are authentic with Him.
Soaking in God’s love means having eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart open to trusting all that He is doing in your life, in the good times and in the seemingly bad.
There is a song called “Pieces” by Amanda Cook that describes God’s love so beautifully. Here are the lyrics, with video below:
Unreserved, unrestrained
Your love is wild
Your love is wild for me
It isn’t shy, it’s unashamed
Your love is proud
To be seen with meYou don’t give Your heart in pieces
You don’t hide Yourself to tease usUncontrolled, uncontained
Your love is a fire
Burning bright for me
It’s not just a spark
It’s not just a flame
Your love is a light
That all the world will see
All the world will seeYou don’t give Your heart in pieces
You don’t hide Yourself to tease usYour love’s not fractured
It’s not a troubled mind
It isn’t anxious
It’s not the restless kind
Your love’s not passive
It’s never disengaged
It’s always present
It hangs on every word we say
Love keeps its promises
It keep its word
It honors what’s sacred
‘Cause its vows are good
Your love’s not broken
It’s not insecure
Your love’s not selfish
Your love is pureYou don’t give Your heart in pieces
You don’t hide Yourself to tease us
Rest in God’s faithfulness to lead you in the way you should go. Put your hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, not in your circumstances. Remember that Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief (Isaiah 53:3). He is feeling your pain deeply.
Have an unshakeable confidence that Your Father loves you with a love that is unending and eternal.
When your life becomes uncomfortable and adversity hits, don’t panic, but trust that God is in the midst and will use your suffering as a pathway to a deeper awareness of what His greater story for you is. He’s quilting a masterpiece with your life because He loves you more than you can fathom.
“The mountains and hills may crumble, but my love for you will never end, so says the Lord who loves you.” ~ Isaiah 54:10 (GNT)
You have written so clearly as one who has been in the valley yet your message shows that a life in Christ is undefeated. This is one of your best so far. So encouraged by your words.
Amen-life in Christ IS undefeated for sure. Thank you Jessica for your constant support of my writing. 🙂
Thanks Tweens, How timely! The Lord has been speaking to my heart recently thru this young woman’s music. I m thinking of Romans 5:5, I call Gods divine formula,HE is always producing more in us thru suffering! Thanks again and Love in JESUS,mary
Thank you for leaving a comment Mary. Yes, it’s hard to see suffering as a gift, but it really is. We become better, stronger and most Christ like through our sorrow. It’s His way to draw us closer to Him. Love you too Mary! 🙂
Beautifully inspiring blog Tweeny – thank you. It is difficult to feel His love when I go through struggles. But then He reminds me to turn to Him – He is always there, loving us. I love that He is quilting a masterpiece in our lives! Love you.
Thank you Lolly. It is very hard to see suffering as a loving act. That’s because we’re looking at it through our human eyes, and not out of God’s perspective. His ways are higher than ours and He sees the beginning from the end. It’s so hard to trust Him when times are hard, but there really is no other way. He is trustworthy, all the time. Love you so much! Thank you for always supporting and loving me. 🙂
I sometimes think am the only one in this life of suffering. I have my Uncle who is always on my neck, who always under look my desires. He often tells me how he hates me and how pathetic iam to him. I often pray to God but He seems not to answer my prayers en I feel so desperate and lost in this world