1 Corinthians 13 is probably the most widely quoted book when it comes to the subject of love. Verse 13 says, "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Everything about us hinges on love because everything about our Father is based on love.

We know that Jesus expressed sacrificial love to us in that He died for our sins so that we are forgiven and have restored fellowship with the Father. Yet what we often fail to realize is that Christ’s love goes even beyond the Cross.

Everything we do, don’t do, face, and don’t face is about His continuing love and mercy. When we mourn or struggle, it is because He knows we need to rely on Him alone, and that hardship drives us to Him. Because He loves us, He gives us blessings and lets us share them–despite how undeserving we are. When we pray and are told to wait, it is because He loves us and knows we need time to grow.

Mourning or waiting periods tend to make us wonder how God could possibly love us in the midst of our circumstances. Mark Rader, however, explains that such times—no matter how agonizing they may seem—teach us that we are not in control of our lives for a reason. Here, Rader tells the story of a speedboat driver who, once he realized the key to his survival, lived through what could have been a tragic racing accident. Rader writes:

He said that he had been at near top speeds when his boat veered slightly and hit a wave at a dangerous angle. The combined force of his speed and the size and angle of the wave sent the boat spinning crazily into the air. He was thrown from his seat and propelled deeply into water—so deep, in fact, that he had no idea which direction the surface was. He had to remain calm and wait for the buoyancy of his life vest to begin pulling him up. Once he discovered which way was up, he could swim for the surface.

Sometimes in life, our choices overwhelm us so much that we can’t fathom which way is up. This is when our Lord and Savior—who loved us to the point of death on the cross—shows us our need to wait on His guiding love. The reason we are not in control of our lives is because God loves us too much to allow it.

Jesus demonstrated such love to Mary and Martha upon Lazarus’ death. John 11:6 says, "Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days." Jesus knew that Mary and Martha needed to grieve in order to grow. L. B. Cowman writes, "Only the power of divine love could have held back the spontaneity of the Savior’s tenderheartedness until the angel of pain had finished his work." He allowed the sisters’ pain because He loved them, not in spite of His love for them.

1 John 4:16 tells us that God is love. Until we come to understand and believe this at the deepest, innermost level, we will struggle with trusting Him, yielding to Him, obeying Him, and serving Him wholeheartedly.

Just as the key to the speedboat driver’s survival was resting in his life vest, the key to the Christian’s survival is believing God’s love for him even when he or she can not see it. The Lord tenderly uses whatever means necessary to show His children which way is up.

Frances Ridley Havergal writes:

God’s love is unchangeable, and He is just as loving even when we do not see or feel it. And His love and His sovereignty are equal and universal. Therefore He often withholds our enjoyment and awareness of our progress, because He knows best what will actually ripen and further His work in us.    

While we are to dwell in faith and hope, the most important dwelling place we can inhabit is the love of God. Without making His love our ultimate dwelling place, we can not fully live in faith and hope. May we not take a step or breathe a breath without being keenly sensitive to "the greatest of these"—our Father’s love.

November 2000 - By Brooke Redwine - Staff writer