I'll Still Love You, Lord

Training for Today: Rest

Devotion: I'll Still Love You, Lord

Have you ever used a conditional phrase when telling someone you love them? I’ll give you a few examples. “Even though you really hurt my feelings, I’ll still love you.” “Even though you don’t deserve it, I’ll still love you.” “Even though you can’t cook, I’ll still love you.” You can insert your own examples into that scenario. The point is that using a conditional phrase like this means that you’re holding onto a piece of the negative while declaring your love.


This week’s theme revolves around the phrase “But I trust in your unfailing love.” The conditional nature of this sentence is implied in the word “but”. It’s like saying, “Even though you’ve allowed my suffering and hardship, I’ll still trust you, Lord.” Have you held onto the bitterness of your suffering while declaring your love and trust in God?

If anyone has the right to hold onto our negatives while declaring love, it’s our Heavenly Father. Our sinful ways don’t even deserve a statement that begins with the words “even though”. Yet, because of Jesus, our Father in Heaven looks down on us and says, “Even though you’ve forsaken me in your sinfulness, I’ll still love you.”

Jesus our Savior won that declaration of love for you! In the bitterness of His suffering on the cross, His heart overflowed with love for you. Romans 5:7-8 sums it up perfectly: “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possible dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

When you’re tempted to use your suffering as a condition, as something you’re loving God in spite of, stop in your tracks. Instead, realize that your suffering is something you should love God because of. He wants you close. He wants to lead you. He wants to hold you in His arms in this life and the next! Even though you’ve doubted His ways, He’ll still love you!

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me for doubting you and for holding onto my suffering as a condition in my love for you. Set me free from this sinful thinking, and remind me of your unconditional love in sending Jesus to pay the price for my sins. Amen.