Settling God's Love in Our Hearts
CBN.com If you are a mother then I'm sure you can identify with one of my greatest fears, loosing one of my children. My family faced this kind of tragedy when I was in college and we lost my 16-month-old sister to complications from a liver transplant. I remember how it was hard to even breathe and how my heart ached as I felt her presence being ripped from our lives. I also remember being so angry with God that I turned my back on Him. I did not have God's love settled in my heart therefore when tragedy struck, I ran from Him rather than to Him.
What does it mean to have God's love settled in our heart? It means learning to love God for who He is and not what He does. It means walking in steady faith with the assurance that God knows best and will always bring good out of every situation. God made us for the relationship of His perfect love. Not that we are capable on this side of eternity to have perfect performances but we are capable of perfect love. We can settle in our hearts that we choose God's love and the pursuit of a love relationship with Him above all else, no matter what comes our way. It comes down to a decision to either love God and hold fast to that love or try and control our circumstances and base our love for God on what happens in our lives.
The day that my husband and I made this decision we were in the hospital with our middle daughter who was six weeks old. She had been a seemingly perfectly healthy baby. Then an allergic reaction to the protein in my breast milk, landed us in the Intensive Car Unit. The doctors told us on the fourth day of our visit that Ashley needed to have an emergency surgical procedure done and they did not expect for her to make it. They then gave us five minutes to tell our baby good-bye. My heart was shattered. I so desperately wanted to scoop my baby up and run out of the hospital and some how breathe my life into hers. I could handle my own death so much easier than the death of my child. Art prayed over Ashley, we both said our goodbyes, and then with tears streaking our faces, we let her go.
Art then took me outside into the hospital parking lot where I collapsed into his arms. He gently cupped my face in his hands and reminded me that Ashley was God's child to give and His to take back. He reassured me that God loved Ashley even more than we do. He told me that we must trust God's plan. He then asked me to do something that changed my whole perspective of my relationship with God. He said we had to get it settled in our heart that we would love God no matter what the outcome of Ashley's surgery.
At first I resented his invitation to love God this way for it might give God the impression that it was okay to take Ashley. With all my being I wanted to hold on to this child and refuse God. Though I felt very heartbroken, I felt God's compassion. I felt him drawing me close and pouring His tender mercy out for us. God knew first-hand the pain we were feeling for He'd felt it firsthand. I knew that ultimately, I had no ability to control my child's outcome. With tears pouring from our eyes we released our sweet Ashley to the Lord and promised to love Him no matter what.
We settled our love for God not just for this situation, but for all time. Though we did not feel happy, a gentle covering of unexplainable joy settled over our hearts. Knowing that the One who loved Ashley even more than we did was taking care of her and that His plan for her was perfect brought peace in the middle of heartbreak.
The end of this chapter of Ashley's life was miraculous and wonderful. Though the doctors can't explain how, Ashley made a full recovery. Who can understand why sometimes God's answers are yes and sometimes they're no? While we can't understand, we can settle our hearts to trust and love. The radical blessing of this kind of obedience is a depth of relationship with God that you can't get any other way.
David found this to be true as he expressed in Psalm 31, "My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak (v.10). But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love (v. 14-16). How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you (v. 19). Praise be to the Lord, for he showed his wonderful love to me (v. 21)." To abandon letting our emotions ride the wave of circumstances is a seemingly impossible undertaking. But with God's amazing love settled in our heart, we have His power to keep steady our faith and experience lasting hope and joy independent of our situations.
What is it that you are facing today? Are you in the middle of trying to cope with a very difficult situation in your life? Have you settled God's love in your heart? If not, pray and ask God to draw you close and give you the courage and wisdom to do so.
Lysa is a wife, mother of five and President of Proverbs 31 Ministries. For more information or to book Lysa for an upcoming women's or parenting event, please visit the Speakers section of the Proverbs 31 Ministries' website at www.proverbs31.org or call 1-877-P31-HOME.
