“God is love…God is love”
It’s a yucky day today. It’s cold..cloudy…breezy…. nothing like the beautiful spring weather we’ve been having lately. I opted not to make church today. Chris is working today…the boys are fine, but Emma Faye is still on meds and having her breathing treatments….just didn’t want to get her out. So we have been home today….it’s not been too bad. But my heart is heavy and I feel I’ve taken on the mood of the weather……a bit gloomy. I’m just burdened today by “life.” –the pain of living in a fallen world. Loneliness, cancer, poverty, rejection, infidelity, infertility, fear….I mean the list goes on and on….and I have dear friends struggling with them ALL. Today I’m not understanding God. I was singing one of Josh’s favorite songs before his afternoon nap today and it went something like this:
Praise Him, Praise Him
all you little children
God is love, God is love
Praise Him, Praise Him
all you little children
God is love….God is love
As I sang the last “God is love”… I was filled with emotion. God IS love. That is what He is. He can’t be anything else. When I am stuggling with the trustworthiness of my God… I must resort back to my “child-like faith” and the simplicity of these concepts. For some reason beyond our comprehension He allows bad things to happen…. He allows bad things to happen to GOOD people. But He still loves us. He still wants the best for us even though it seems He desires the worst. I must turn to truths in the bible….
“I permitted Myself to be sought by those who did not ask for Me; I permitted Myself to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here am I, here am I, to a nation which did not call on My name…..I have spread out my hands all day long to a rebellious people..” Isaiah 65:1-2
and He continued spreading them until He hung on a cross and became the unblemished lamb to save us….the ultimate sacrifice.
He IS love……with that understood…. how do I deal with the disappointments of life? Right now as I am moved to tears….I realize that life is always changing…..but God is not. He has never changed. He remains forever the same. That is how we may continue to praise him… that is how we continue to lean upon The Rock for our strength.
I am reminded of the parable of the talents found in Luke 19:11. I know it was initially an illustration on the usage of money….but today… I don’t know… my mind sees things a little differently. I just was thinking about this parable in terms of our faith and relationship with Christ. The master gave all of his servants the same amount of money. As the story goes… some doubled their money… some made a little more… and some did nothing with their gift. Perhaps this is a stretch… but I began to think about this in light of my personal relationship with Christ. I have been given salvation… I have been extended faith…….what am I doing with this during the hard times (in a since…while my master is away). Am I using such “opportunities” to invest in my Savior and draw forth the sweet rewards of complete rest and trust; be able to SEE and EXPERIENCE HIM like never before?…… or withdraw from him completely in a “why does my life suck” mentality and literally do nothing with the faith and relationship He has extended to me until the day He takes me home? It seems virtually impossible to me that choosing to embrace the difficulties through the strength of my Lord will not yield a greater profit [of faith] than I had before…..and that in return will add to my overall “income”. Could it be these difficult times that seem to be for our detriment…….actually be for our gain?
Oh precious friends…precious “daughters of the King”……please be encouraged. I write these things more for myself than trying to sound “preachy.” Life is so hard. And I know some of us are undergoing tremendous disappointments and struggles……but I know they are extended to us for our gain in Him. As we face them head-on and brace ourselves for their attack… may we embrace Christ all the more. May we draw near to him all the more. He is LOVE. Praise Him…all you precious daughters of Christ. God is Love!
“who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword..” (Romans 8:35)….or struggles within our marriages, or financial battles, or job uncertainties, or heartbreaks over our children, or loneliness, or anger, or friendships, or family dynamics, or illness……………
“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, not things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39.
There is nothing that can separate us from His love….. and may nothing separate our minds from remembering that HE IS LOVE and He is ALWAYS loving us despite what our circumstances are screaming.
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March 30th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Amen sister! You say so eloquently what my weary, bewildered heart knows to be true. He is faithful and can use all things to draw us closer to Himself. We did not do church either, instead visited Grandpa at McLeod. Using precious moments:) Love you friend. Although Chris’ dad was in the room visiting as well and as we chatted he asked how I seemed to know a more current update on his grandkids than he did, so send him your link:)
March 31st, 2008 at 9:56 pm
jenny, i need this today
- thank you! and it’s funny that i read the title to the tune before reading your post 
- “you know you’re a mommy when…” glad you’re feeling a little better. we’re all still praying for you guys (especially my sweet little edie).