What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31–32 (ESV)
When things don’t seem to be going your way, it can be easy to wonder if God is paying attention to your suffering. As your suffering grows, you will be tempted to pull into yourself and away from the very things that have the power to give us faith in our future and our God, again. The belief that God is no longer in your corner is not only debilitating, it is absolutely not true.
God loves you!
God’s love for you is not dependent on your ability to be “lovely”. It’s not about your ability to be “good” or to check enough boxes in God’s “lovable” list of character traits. God loves you and He has always loved you, even before you knew Him.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6–8 (ESV)
God is with you!
There is literally no where you can go to escape God. You can not ignore Him, shun Him, or curse Him enough to make Him go away. You can poison your own heart against God or let others poison it for you, but God is always there.
…for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5–6 (ESV)
God is for you!
In the midst of your suffering, He is beside you and He is working for your good. Maybe your suffering is for a season to help you grow. Regardless, He is always there to comfort you during your heartbreak. He is always there to give you purpose when you feel lost. He is always there to show love, even when you feel unlovable.
His work will always be directed at helping you to become all that you were created to be. He is, at this very moment, orchestrating events, conversations, and unexpected blessings to help you through the very things that are causing you pain. He is focused on moving you to the place where you can see more clearly, feel joy more fully, and handle diversity more gracefully than you ever thought possible.
God is always for you, even when you are not for Him. But when we are…for Him…that is when suffering dies and we see the life that we were always meant to live.
Do not suffer in isolation. God is always and forevermore FOR you!
Mark Love
Lead Pastor