LOVE: STILL REAL

Good Evening Friends!

I can’t believe it is Sunday evening already

The weekend goes entirely too fast for my liking.

Nevertheless, I have enjoyed my weekend. I hope you have enjoyed your as well.

I am also enjoying our focus on LOVE

I KNOW – I am not focusing on the types of love that are typically thought of at this time of year; that are typically associated with Valentine’s Day. However, it is important to delve into the differing types of love [starting with God’s love] because our perceptions of the love the LORD has for us serves as the foundation to how we display, pursue, receive and embrace all other kinds of love.

SADLY – in my discussions with others and in interacting with individuals online, there are many [far too many] who experience significant challenges in believing that God actually holds that amazing, unchanging & unconditional love which I spoke of yesterday. Understand, there are many who believe that He loves – and that He is love. However, there are countless others who – recognizing those characteristics as true – struggle in their belief that He loves them that way.

There are so many broken hearts which cry [internally & externally]:

1.       I DO NOT FEEL LOVED BY GOD

2.       I DO NOT FEEL LOVED AT ALL

If we can take a few moments to address the first – it will go a long way in addressing the second

Again, the perceptions of the love the LORD has for us serves as the foundation to how we display, pursue, receive and embrace all other kinds of love. And …

There are times when the pain we experience is so intense, it overrides what we know to be true.

While suffering violently on the cross, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “"Eli Eli lama sabachthani?" which is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" [Matthew 27:46] That moment – I believe – likely more than any other in Scripture, provides such a poignant depiction of His humanity. It shows Jesus responding very much the way we do when we endure cross-bearing challenges. Now, please understand, I am in NO WAY suggesting that anything any one of us has to endure is remotely on scale with what our Savior endured for us. However, the pattern of what can happen during a trial is what is significant.

Had God’s love for Jesus changed? No – absolutely not!

His circumstance was not the measure for whether God’s love was still present

Likewise – in your own life, in my life, in our collective lives, the presence of problems is not an accurate gauge of His love for us. The love of God does not change – but the perspective of God’s love can be severely impacted by the trauma of our individual situations. This is why we are tasked with walking by faith and not by sight. You cannot always trust what you hear, what you see or even what you feel.

In my book, When Storms Rage, I shared that, ‘…there are times when God will allow everything that we trust in to fail: finances, health, intellect and even feelings. And in doing so, He takes us to a place where we depend solely upon the truth of His Word. Yes we confess His promise that He will never leave us, but will we still believe it when we do not feel it, when we cannot see Him? This is faith – faith that is developed in the whirlwind of the storm.’

It is this faith which enables us to believe in the love God – despite the challenges

It is the fact that He is love and that His love for us is never-ending, which enables us to overcome & love others.

When we do not feel God’s love, it impacts our ability to receive His love; and it impacts our ability to give love to and receive love from others. It can leave us feeling unloved by all and cause significant relationship challenges. We will delve into this more in the next few days.

BUT, UNTIL THEN – REMEMBER THIS

SOMETIMES – the only evidence you will have of His presence & His love is the fact that you are not being consumed by your situation.

HOWEVER – His love is still every bit as real and unchanging … FOR YOU!

Jeremiah 31:3 notes that, ‘The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.’ And here is the beautiful thing: He is unchanging. You can trust His Word as true, you can trust His love as true ... even when you cannot not see it or feel it.

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening!

Much Love ...