Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  Romans 8:35

My love for Christ has often been corrupted by tribulation, distress, persecution, danger, and sword.  In my spiritual immaturity, love waned because of my wrongful judgments against Him.  When painful times rolled over me, my distrust of Him spread like a cancer.

But my love for Christ is not the ‘love’ Paul is talking about.  It is His love for me.  Even though I pull back in fear, He is ever pursuing.  Even though I pull back in distrust, His love is incorruptible.

In those moments when I allowed tribulation to erode my love for Jesus, it was only because I did not understand God’s sovereignty.  I could not see His panoramic view of my life and how stunning it is for His glory.  With limited vision, I mistook His wisdom for neglect and His hidden mercy for lack of affection.

Christ’s love for me, the kind that does not ever diminish when the world falls apart, is a love I have to take by faith.  When I see no evidence of it, faith must live.  When I stand in glory and meet Jesus face to face and I get to review my life with glorified spiritual understanding, I will fall to my knees forever, never again doubting His love.

Jesus Loves Me This I Know – is the most important song we have ever learned.  It needs to play like a broken record in the rooms of our heart when anger and doubt are first present.  How do we know Christ loves us?  Because the Bible said so and Jesus proved it with His life.

I have been so childish, Lord.  When life was good, I said… “You love me.”  When life was hard, I said… “You must not love me.”  I vow to never let tribulation rock this assurance again.  Amen