What do we really mean when we say this precious line? Do we really believe that Jesus loves us all the time? How can we say that Jesus loves us after seeing what’s happening all around us? In these days where we can easily forget that we are already saved by a loving God, I believe it is once again a good time to remind ourselves how much Jesus loves us.
This forgetting of God’s love occurred all over the stories of The Bible, so don’t feel condemned about it. Moses and the Israelites murmured constantly about God’s love (Exodus 17), Jacob forgot all about God’s promises to him and cried out “Everything is against me!” (Genesis 42:36). Even the apostles who were travelling with Christ Himself complained to Him: “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38) Martha also complained to Jesus: “Lord don’t you care?” (Luke 10:40)
If one looks carefully, we will see that all these murmurings we have today and the murmurings of the Bible patriarchs were completely irrational. If God really wanted the Israelites to suffer and die, then all God had to do was to leave them in Egypt at the mercy of Pharaoh. Why all the miracles and deaths just to get them out of Egypt? In the case of Jacob (the man whom God gave Israel), he was complaining about his life just moments before God placed him and his family in the best place on earth at the time of the famine. The apostles were worse, they were on the boat with The Saviour and they still thought that Christ will allow them to drown. Lastly, if Jesus didn’t really care about Martha, He wouldn’t have travelled a long distance just to see them and raise their brother Lazarus to life.
Why did they all doubt The Lord’s love for them? In all four instances, all who doubted God’s love were in a state of distress. They were out thirsty in the desert, hungry from famine, fearful from drowning and grieving from a love one’s death. This formula has not changed ever since. Today, every time we’re stressed out or fearful, thoughts of God’s love rarely pass our mind. In fact, it’s the opposite of that thought which we hear the loudest: “where is God?” “Does God really love me?”
Whenever you have these doubting thoughts always remind yourself that you are just distracted. You are distracted from seeing the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came down to save us (Luke 19:10), distress makes us forget that The Son of God did not come down to earth to be tortured so He can abandon us. To say that He doesn’t love us is an utter insult to what He did on the cross; it is tantamount to saying that He came down and died for nothing. So behold the cross and be reminded of the peace that Jesus Christ bought for us by shedding His sinless blood. All because He loves us.
Your circumstances may not be going the way you want, but like the Israelites, Jacob, the apostles, and Martha, the Lord has already begun a miracle in you; we are just too distracted to see it. Now you have a choice, to wait for this miracle in fear and distress or you can remind yourself of what Jesus has done and expect your miracle with love, joy and peace.
Let what He did on the cross be for us the truth and not our daily circumstances.
Jesus loves you.
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