The Trouble with How Much God Loves Us
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” Romans 8: 35-37.
So far from trouble, hardship, persecution, etc. separating us from the love of God, these things are actually an expression of it. To read the whole passage for context, click here.
Hebrews 12: 5,6 says this: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son”.
And according to other scriptures and Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the NT, the word discipline or chastening includes infliction of evil, calamity, judgement, punishment, blows and scourging.
And the very next verse in Hebrews says “Endure hardship as discipline. . . ” Hebrews 12: 7.
In other words, every difficult, painful, even devastating trial we go through is discipline from the Lord. And as such is an expression of His love.
Proof that He Delights in Us
It’s proof that he accepts and delights in us according to Proverbs 3: 11, 12.
Difficulties of any kind are not signs that God is against us, that He hates us. They’re not an indication that He doesn’t care.
This is what we’re tempted to think when we go through such things. But in fact, the exact opposite is true.
We’re going through these painful trials because our Heavenly Father wants us to be blessed. He desires that we have an abundant life and make it to our promise land.
But that won’t happen unless we grow up and mature. And no child grows up or matures without some discipline.
Knowing How Much God Loves Us Is the Secret Sauce
In fact, being confident of God’s love in the midst of our trials is the secret to being “more than conquerors” in them (see Romans 8: 37).
Knowing that they are an expression of God’s love and that He has our best interest at heart, and only wants the best for us is makes all the difference. This is what enables us to endure them without becoming angry, bitter, depressed, full of self-pity, rebellious or out of control.
It’s what empowers us to “consider it pure joy” (see James 1:2), and to give thanks in the midst of it, knowing that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, [for those] who have been called according to his purpose” Romans 8: 28.
A Tremendous Opportunity
Suffering of any kind, and for whatever reason, is a tremendous opportunity to gain in the spiritual realm what we could not in any other way.
It causes us to repent, gain strength, maturity and wisdom. It helps us to learn and walk in God’s ways.
These things are beneficial to us, as they will permit us to reach our full potential. And make it to our promise land.
And we can also use what we’ve learned to help someone else.
Trials are such a tremendous opportunity to gain in the spiritual realm. Because of this, we’re tempted to believe the lie that God hates us or at least doesn’t care.
If we give in to this lie, we’ll lose the benefit they are designed to bring.
God intended every situation in life, whether painful or pleasant, bitter or sweet, to be a blessing. And source of gain to us. Either in the natural realm, or in the spiritual realm.
Natural blessings are easy to receive. That’s because they are obvious and don’t require any faith to accept.
The Trouble That Reveals How Much God Loves Us
Spiritual blessings, on the other hand, come wrapped in a package of pain, loss and heartache.
And unless we respond in faith, actively choosing to believe they are an expression of God’s love, we won’t receive them.
And we’ll miss the blessing God intended.
When we’re the most tempted to believe God hates us, is against us, or doesn’t care is when He’s loving us the most.
It’s then that He’s expressing His love in a way that could have the most powerful, positive impact on our life.
For another post related to The Trouble with How Much God Loves Us, see Proverbs 3 Commentary: Rewards of Wisdom.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2023 Anita Wood