Echoes of Truth
February 18th
Theme: True Love Revealed
God’s love is not measured by our comfort but by His character. — Elisabeth Elliot
It was time for Dave to get his fourteen weeks immunization shots. His mum from the experience of his older siblings knew that day was going to be tough for the little one. She prepared the boy as much as she knew from experience.
She gave a tiny dose of analgesic before leaving home. Just about their turn, she changed his little soiled diaper to a dry one, wore a softer fabric on him and tried not to feed him much so that her breast can be somewhat comfortable afterwards.
As she pulled down his tiny shorts, held his first thigh as she was told to, Dave got the first shot and let out a loud wail as though asking, ‘what has caused me this much pain?’. By the second thigh shot, he probably was asking, ‘mummy what are you doing to me?’. The last shot on his arm certainly sent little Dave on a roller coaster of wails.
Hurrying off the chair, away from the nurses, the mum, feeling her boy’s cries, gently sat at a corner of the hall and presented him food for quick comfort. The little one latched at it amidst tears and occasional shivers. With a gentle rocking, she said to her son, ‘I know it hurts, it hurts me to hear your tears too. However, this I need to do for your future well-being’.
Perhaps you felt abandoned when life got hard? Failed dreams, sour relationships, sudden loss. In those moments, it’s easy to think, “if God truly loved me, why didn’t He prevent these things from happening?” But then, the cross was not comfortable for Jesus either. He endured pain and betrayal from His loved one, even to the point of death.
To date, this is still the most profound display of divine love (Romans 5:8). If love were about ease, there would be no cross. But because God doesn’t depend on circumstances and outcomes to express the love that defines who He is, He remains utterly committed to His children (Lamentations 3:22-23; Malachi 3:6).
At Gethsemane, Jesus chose the Father’s will because the temporary pain was nothing compared to the eternal pain humanity would go through without Him. This teaches that even in seasons of difficulty, God’s love is present. The storms of life do not indicate His absence; they often reveal the depth He is launching us into.
Like refining fire, trials reveal His heart. His utmost desire is to conform us to His likeness. His love doesn’t remove hardship automatically, rather it teaches and transforms through it. Joseph faced betrayal and all manner of persecutions, yet God’s character and purposes never wavered. God remained with Joseph even in the most hopeless places.
In Potiphar’s house, God strengthened his resolve against Potiphar’s wife’s temptation though he went to prison for it. In prison, God’s presence faithfully guided him straight to Pharaoh’s palace. God orchestrated all these events, including the betrayal from his brothers, to fulfill His divine purpose. Joseph later recognized this truth, which was why he told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20).
God’s love is reliable, Sis! Let this always ring in your heart when life’s situations start to feel hopeless, doubtful, and overwhelming.
Soak in this song and be reminded of God’s steadfast love through every season:
Let Us Pray
Father, forgive me for every time I have measured Your love by my comfort. Help me see that Your love is anchored in who You are, not in what I experience. Teach me to trust Your character in every season, to rest fully in Your unchanging heart, to let Your love shape me from the inside out and let it be my anchor from today forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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