Five Truths to Live By

I never went so far as to doubt God’s love existed, but there was a season in my life I did question whether that truth pertained to me.…

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Stumbling through the darkened woods, my soul screamed for justice and fairness. Where was God when I needed Him the most? Why would He abandon me and the tiny life that had been growing in me? Didn’t He care?

My tirade continued that evening until exhausted I sank to the damp coolness of earth.

My heart lay in pieces. Another precious life, a part of me, had been taken for no reason I could fathom.

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During those tumultuous years of pregnancies and miscarriages (punctuated by four joyous live births), I kept up my questions, my accusations of a God I knew existed yet felt only distantly.

Did He fall asleep periodically, just when one of my babes were developing? Or was He busy elsewhere?

From my early days, I’d been taught God loved me. But it is so easy to doubt.

In fact, it is oddly tempting to hold onto that doubt, to grip it tightly and make it my permanent companion, to maintain a blind eye to the truth of His love.

But the Lord is full of grace. And into my life, He sent a doubt-breaker, a sight-restorer in the name of Rachel.

My third living child, Rachel was born with significant special needs, revealed over several years. As she grew, I couldn’t help but focus on the wonder of this sweet girl, and the Creator’s goodness began burning a hole through my selfish blindness.

Although the days weren’t always easy, Rachel brought (brings) immeasurable joy to me.

Such joy in the midst of what some would deem tragedy forced me to consider that God’s love and presence would not always manifest itself initially in ways I see as blessings.

His sovereign will may not always be what I would choose.

The loss of five of my little ones before I could even caress them is not something I would ever welcome. Nonetheless, it doesn’t change the truth of God’s love for me—and you. It just means our perspective is skewed.

We only see a tiny bit of the Father’s big picture.

Many years and miles separate me from those nights of screaming in the damp woods. But there are still times I wonder why He chose to give and then take away so quickly. I still misconstrue many of His blessings.

However, I’ve learned several important truths that allow me to experience joy and security even in uncertain circumstances:

1. God’s faithfulness does not depend on my feelings.
2. His love is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
3. He is near even if I can’t feel Him.
4. His will is always for my best; it just doesn’t always feel like it.
5. God’s Word is truth whether I choose to believe or not.

Truths to remember: God’s faithfulness does not depend on our feelings. His love is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He is near even if we can’t feel Him. His will is always for our best. God’s Word is truth whether I choose to believe or not. Click To Tweet

So don’t let your feelings mask the truth. Wrap your heart around the joy of God’s everlasting love for you.

Don’t let your feelings mask the truth. Wrap your heart around the joy of God’s everlasting love for you. Click To Tweet

“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 8:38–29).

Reflections: Has God ever felt distant? What would you suggest to others fighting the grip of doubt?