When I am helping someone to encounter God, one of the first things I do is to deliberately allow some space for them to appreciate the Father’s deep love for them. This isn’t because it is simply Step 1 on my check-list, but because it is vital and something that I believe was key for Jesus in his earthly ministry.
At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, one of the first episodes we read about is the baptism of Jesus. This event was characterised by Jesus hearing his Father’s incredible words of affirmation, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11) So far so good, but what happens in the very next verses is shocking: ‘At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan.” (Mark 1:12-13)
In other words, immediately after the Father’s outpouring of love came a time of severe testing. Could it be that the truth of this love that had just been expressed to him was what helped and sustained him through the horrendous time of testing that he now faced?
At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, one of the first episodes we read about is the baptism of Jesus. This event was characterised by Jesus hearing his Father’s incredible words of affirmation, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11) So far so good, but what happens in the very next verses is shocking: ‘At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan.” (Mark 1:12-13)
In other words, immediately after the Father’s outpouring of love came a time of severe testing. Could it be that the truth of this love that had just been expressed to him was what helped and sustained him through the horrendous time of testing that he now faced?
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We all go through hard times - they are part of being human and are certainly not indicative of God’s displeasure in us - but the question is how we face up to them. It is tempting to muster as much resolve as we can, summoning up all our inner strength and gritting our teeth a little bit more as we try to get through the trials and hardships as best we can. It may be that what does not come so naturally is to draw upon the Father’s amazing love for us.
We might be tempted to think that if God says he loves us so much, why does he let us go through such difficulties? Perhaps Jesus wondered the same thing - but if he did it is not recorded for us. I prefer to think that as he experienced his time of testing and temptation, he was drawing upon the love that had just been expressed to him by his Father and was meditating on that. |
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This is why I keep stressing the importance of dwelling on God’s love for us. By focussing on this we begin to catch his vision of what we are going through, and his ongoing love for us despite it all. Hopefully knowing that we are deeply loved will also encourage us to believe that God is for us in our trials.
There is nothing weak or ‘wish-washy’ about allowing ourselves and others to soak in God’s love for us. It is crucial since it gives us the inner strength we need to face whatever the world may throw at us.
With every blessing
John Ryeland
There is nothing weak or ‘wish-washy’ about allowing ourselves and others to soak in God’s love for us. It is crucial since it gives us the inner strength we need to face whatever the world may throw at us.
With every blessing
John Ryeland
