An Unwavering Love
February 14, 2024
Happy Valentine’s Day!!! “Greater love has no one than this…” John 15:13
I can’t think of a single time when the Lord’s timing wasn’t perfect. I’ve been in a season of not feeling the Lord’s presence. A season of feeling like my quiet time with Him and in His Word has been a chore rather than a desire. With that comes the feelings of guilt and shame and the longing for feeling the intimacy with Jesus that I have felt before. It’s no coincidence that this lack of emotional encounters with the Lord has come alongside God teaching me His design and intent for emotions. As a person who feels so deeply and so passionately, I can’t say I’ve enjoyed this season of not being able to put my finger on the tangible joy as His daughter. Logically and in thought, I am able to delight in Him, but my emotions are trying to lead me elsewhere. But, regardless, I can confidently say that the Lord is growing the strength of my heart at this time, teaching me to know that He is the cry of my heart whether or not my human emotions immediately follow.
God is showing me how to trust in who He is regardless of how I feel about Him in my circumstances. As the Creator, God has a divine plan to use every emotion for His glory and our good. In my study on God’s design and intent for emotions, I’ve learned that “emotions can bypass our reasoning or present knowledge about something” and they can either “encourage us or deceive us” even though “their created intent is to lead us toward God-glorifying responses” (Aubrey Coleman). This is when it becomes so crucial to stay consistent in time with Him even when it feels lifeless. He’s not an absent God who sporadically decides to take a break from working for our good and His glory. Even when we cannot see it, our Promise Keeper is at work. What we may see as lifeless, God is filling with the very breath that is in our own lungs. It’s no coincidence that God is walking me through this this week. My prayer has been that He would revive my heart as I have longed to feel His love. But all along, His love for me has been steadfast and unwavering. His timing is perfect in everything He does.
Again and again, the Lord has reminded me of Luke 15– the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the lost son. Our loving God rejoices in His children coming home to Him. His love is constant, it reaches out to us and pursues us without cease. I can’t think of a greater love than the image in my mind of the father who ran to meet his prodigal son. We have a Father who runs to meet us wherever we are, His open arms wrapping us in an endless love.
“Greater love has no one than this…” John 15:13
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39
In my quiet times that have felt empty and unproductive, I have been making a list of the little ways the Lord’s love has still been so evident. Here are a few things that have made me smile…
“Lord, may You be the cry of my heart despite what my emotions say. May I declare Your love for me when it feels absent. Give me the strength to continue to dwell in Your presence and dive into Your Word, for I know that my heart and my emotions will soon follow.”
I’m praying this over us all, especially today when there may be heightened thoughts and feelings of being unlovable. There is a God who’s unconditional love pursues you and runs to meet you, a Savior who took on the cross and wants to be your very best friend. Knowing that, you are anything but unlovable. What would be on your list of God’s little love notes to you?