What if this suffering means my faith isn’t strong enough? What if God doesn’t actually love me?
The enemy loves to dagger these questions into our thoughts. Just as in the Genesis 3 garden, the tempter wants us to forget the gospel, doubt God’s love for us because pain is intense, take our minds off His gracious gift to us in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Such a liar.
Beloved, what if this suffering is our heavenly Father’s strengthening the faith He’s given to us? What if it’s a time for Him to show us His covenant love for us, in a deepened, intimate walk with our Savior?
What if we’re so needy that we re-see and experience a teeny-tiny molecule of the suffering our beloved Jesus endured…for us?
What if this helps us love Him all the more?
What if this suffering is a unique time given to us…
…will then walk in a fresh awareness of His love and grace, in our desperate need? What if the lover of our souls is, right now, helping us “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7 ESV).
This week and next, let’s pray together to Jesus, the lover of our souls. Let’s ask Him to help us know His love for us, to our heart’s core. As we suffer, let’s slowly soak in Scripture to remind our souls of the forever-and right now-work of God’s grace to us, rooted and grounded in love.
Jesus, You are the lover of my soul, by grace
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
and are justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:23-24 ESV).
For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn. 3:16 ESV).
I have been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal. 2:20 ESV).
Jesus, lover of my soul,
let me to thy bosom fly,
while the nearer waters roll,
while the tempest still is high:
hide me, O my Savior, hide,
till the storm of life is past;
safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last!
(“Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” Wesley, C., 1740)
Lord, You are the lover of my soul, helping me
For you have died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3 ESV).
The Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom. 8:26 ESV).
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you,
I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Is. 41:10 ESV).
Other refuge have I none,
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me!
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenseless head
with the shadow of thy wing.
Lord Jesus, lover of my soul, thank You for holding me up during this suffering. You’re strengthening me, perfecting the faith You’ve given to me. By Your life and death and resurrection, with continual grace that brought me and keeps me in a love relationship with You, I have peace with God my Father (Rom. 5:1), so I don’t need to fear. You’re with me by Your Spirit…now and always. My life is hidden with You, safe in Your care.
You’re helping me in so many ways, even when I can’t see them. So, please help me to refute the enemy’s lies with truth. Because the truth is…by the power of the gospel, You love me and I love You, because You loved me first (1 Jn. 4:19). I praise You and adore You, even as I pray for Your help to know Your deep love, as I suffer. In Your name, amen.
Playlist to sing to Jesus, the lover of our souls
Would a playlist of gospel-focused adoration help you? In my suffering, pray-singing to the Lord in personal worship has helped me battle the enemy’s lies. When the physical and emotional pain is intense, it’s often hard to pray or read. So singing truths of His Word, particularly truths of the gospel, helps my soul remember.
So I’m making YouTube playlists to help each of us sing Scriptural truth, remembering what is true for those in Christ. I’m praying that singing adoration to Jesus this week will help my suffering sisters in Christ to express our love to Him, remembering and thanking Him for His always-abiding love. I pray this will help us walk with endurance of faith this week, by His gracious gift.
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