Loved.

 

 

There are days in life that turn out just how you might have ordered them and then there are those days that bring just plain heartache. Sometimes in the heartache it is hard to feel loved by a Sovereign God. Where is love in a hard circumstance? Does love have anything to do with circumstance? God's love is steadfast; it is not circumstantial; that said it was through the circumstance of Christ suffering and dying on the cross that love became manifest for us. As Jesus hung on the cross and died, God's heart broke, but at the same time His wrath on sin was satisfied which opened up the possibility of a love relationship with us. An event happened, circumstances changed, we were changed.

 

Sometimes in the midst of lesser events, events that cause me heartache, I forget about that one circumstance that has already changed me, stamped my heart "loved" forever. I forget that of all the circumstances I want to change, nothing needs to change for me to be loved and to someday "feel" loved forever without end. God’s love is there, even when I am sad; love is not a fuzzy feeling, it is an unbelievably incredible reality. Someday for those He loves, all the sadness and sin will disappear, till then we rest in His love.

 

Love is not a feeling, it is a truth. When the God of love determines it is time, the enemy of my soul will be cast into darkness, love will reign...and feeling will catch up to the truth. Till then, when circumstance would tempt me to question God's love, I pray the Spirit would bring to my remembrance the one circumstance that changed everything for me, forever. I pray He would help me to praise Him for His heartache that brought me hope, and that I would give Him my heartache with confident hope He will redeem it for His glory. Love is not a circumstance, but because of a circumstance 2000 years ago, we know love. May His Spirit magnify the significance of this event in our hearts till it overshadows the lesser events that would tempt us ever doubt........God's amazing and steadfast love.

*From: Twenty Colors of Love (krista stoller)

"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."                 I John 4: 9-10 (ESV)