God is Love
God is good;
our Hope from above.
A hope anchored in Christ,
that knows God is love.
I grew up thinking that God was punishing me every time something bad happened. I remember clearly asking about this in my journal to Him growing up and yet I did not pause to listen much back then. My conversations were often one-sided: venting, pleading or praising Him…
As I continue to read the Bible as an adult, I find more and more of God’s faithful and loving character and see that I had this wrong.
God is love.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18 NIV)
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:16-18 NIV)
God is love.
And I know there is hope in the hard.
Because Jesus is Hope.
I also know that God can turn things to good. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
So why does God allow the trials to happen?
I don’t know everything and I won’t try to. I put it into the compartment of “God, I don’t understand but I trust You.” I’m learning though, and some conversations and topics like these get me diving into the Bible more to learn God deeper.
I also like having such conversations with others I look to as mentors such as my father-in-law. My father-in law was the one who I used to call with such questions after praying about it. Since he is gone, I found myself reflecting on how grateful I was to have him in my life for almost two decades. Then, it had me thinking… what would He have done with my question? The question they several have asked me… Why do bad things happen to people who love and seek the Lord? Or even this question which I’m sure you have heard before, why do bad things happen to “good” people?
My father-in-law would have paused to seek wisdom and prayed for the Holy Spirit to speak through Him. Or at least that’s what I now believe his pauses meant.
It’s interesting because this topic is one we spoke of a few specific times. And the last time in our conversation in early 2022, his thoughts and beliefs had changed. He continued to remind me that…
God is love.
So this time, in not having him to talk to, I prayed for God to align me with the resources and a person to chat with. Interestingly enough, the two people I reached out to, were unable to chat and I know God was working for sure…
In being left with no one aligned to speak with, it kept me seeking God more. And coming to His Word. And honestly, I know that that was exactly where He wanted me… coming to Him, His presence and His Word.
So here it is…
I believe there are things we don’t understand in this world. I’m never going try to understand another person’s relationship with God because it’s not my place. And I’m not God.
I have made comments like…in Heaven I’ll ask God such questions but I’m not sure we will once we get there… instead we will be rejoicing and worshipping. I am learning that some things we are not meant to know because it builds our faith and dependence on the One who does. But also this… sometimes God is protecting us by not allowing us to know.
In my seeking, here is what I started to reflect on…
What do I know…
About God…
God is all loving and all powerful
Good comes from God
Jesus holds the victory.
About evil…
Still evil exists and illnesses in this world demonstrate evil in this world
Satan is real. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV) I don’t want to leave myself, family and loved ones vulnerable due to distractions, petty arguments or even agreements. Our kids are watching.
We live in a fallen world where people misuse their free will. I was reflecting on how in our relationship with God we can go to Him directly and ask him if there is this component in our lives or suffering, and how we can speak life and the power of God in Jesus’ name over the attacks that come or when we find ourselves or a loved one under attack. Jesus holds the victory.
Still there is so much I don’t understand and we won’t understand.
Then I was led to think of free will and how God gave us free will. (Genesis 3:15–17; Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15) God created humans with the freedom of will.
God created all that is and all that He created is good. Before the fall (Genesis 1-3) and Adam and Eve’s disobedience, evil could be chosen but was not yet reality.
Freedom of will or choice even now brings me to topics like… what we choose to use our time doing. Because while we know what we should or should not be doing, or doing less or more of, we decide if we listen and obey.
With freedom of will, we can choose good and God. He won’t force us. He will lovingly teach though.
“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” (James 1:13-15, 17-18 NIV)
We are all sinners.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NIV)
and sin is a result of the fallen world we live in. (Genesis 3:17)
Also while I was praying about all of this…
“pain from purpose” is a topic I have spoken about and written about…
I was led to reflect on the character of Jesus.
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”
(Colossians 1:15-16 NIV)
The character of God …
Through Christ
I think we can gain more wisdom and clarity here by reflection on who Jesus is and how He lived because He was perfect.
Jesus healed the sick. He did not bring about their illness
Jesus set prisons free. He did not imprison
Jesus restored our messes and brokenness. He did not cripple or break more.
Jesus walked seeking to love and meet people where they were in their situations and pain. He did not seek power. He stood in God’s power and truth. I mean think of how he entered Jerusalem on a donkey…
“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.” (Matthew 21:1-2 NIV)
Sure, His second coming will be different.
But today I was reminded of Jesus in human form and how He humbled himself and went to the cross for us! He died and rose so we could have eternal life
Jesus devoted his life to healing and liberating people
I don’t know why some are not healed here. I don’t know why our world was created to even allow so much suffering and evil in but we live in a fallen world.
Through it all,
we can see through the lens of Christ
we can see our God of the gospels…
-He Heals.
-He walks with us through the valley.
“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4 NLT)
-He calls us to not fear but to trust.
-He is always by our sides.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5 NIV)
I think of the scars of Jesus’ suffering for us and how it is a reflection of how God sees, knows and He cares about us. That’s why He creates purpose from the pain of this world.
He loves us
Good comes from God.
“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” (James 1:16-18 NIV)
So the “stuff” that comes that is not good, God does not cause it but He will ultimately heal it, even if it is not here but in eternity. In the meantime we can love God love others. We must.
We can trust our loving God because God is love. We can pray over our lives and families. Repent when needed and stand in hope even through the hard because our hope is anchored in Jesus.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)
Sometimes God turns bad things to good!
He is sovereign.
He is good.
He is love.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)
Jesus holds the victory. God revealed Himself through Jesus. He is a Promise Keeper. He fulfilled His promise through Jesus. God never changes. He is faithful. He is love. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can come directly to God. God is love. Stand in His love today.
We can look around and see so much evil. When this happened, we must look up. (Luke 21:28)
Look to the Lord.
Look to love.
Stand in His love today.
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