Secure in Love 3️⃣: Inseparable Love

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Romans 8:35 NIV

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  

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Love. It's all roses, trees, flowers, gardens, kisses, pleasantries... up until it's not. Up until the little foxes begin ruining the blooming vineyard, and it all comes down to a vast wilderness with no trace of life. No more flowers. No more gardens. No more roses. No more trees. No more beautiful lines of poetry... Just a vast, lifeless wilderness. Is it still love even then?

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Is there a situation so great that it can tear us apart from God's unadulterated love?

Is it the chapters in our stories that we often skip? The ones we wrote with eyes blinded by tears? Those we wish we could tear off the pages and do away with? The ones we rarely ever talk about? The things we wish never happened?

Even worse is the many questions they stir up in our already troubled hearts and minds. The ones we're too afraid to ask... They toy with our emotions and the result is quite expected ~ an endless feeling of despair, helplessness and worthlessness. 

'Maybe God doesn't really love me after all. If He did, this should never have happened.'

A tragic ending...

But is it really the end?

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Hard as it is we can not afford to give a blind eye to this side of the story. It wasn't part of what I was planning to blog about in relation to being secure in love. It's more of an afterthought, so I figured it might as well be an addendum to this particular theme. 

The Canticles paints such a wonderful picture of love in an equally perfect context. The reality is, sadly, far from that. Sometimes we are lucky enough to experience Love in its full glory, and that's beautiful. But for most part of the story of our lives it isn't always like that. There are valleys, puddles, mountains, hills, scorching deserts, dark nights, vast wildernesses and so much more.

Is love, then, confined to the rosy gardens or can it be felt even 'here'? Does it guarantee some kind of instant relief in the midst of hardships? Is it capable of shielding us from pain? Danger? Calamity? Even death? Can it bring back the sound of rejoicing in the desert and parched land? Can it restore Hope?

I've tried tackling some of the above questions extensively in the blogs A more excellent way... and No Greater Love. The emphasis I'd like to put across here is that none of these should separate us from God's love. Truth is these things can actually separate us. Not that God stops loving us then, but that we somehow fail to receive that Love. When we allow these things to get in the way of our communion with God then a barrier is created. That's not the ending God wants for us. His plans for us are good. 😊

I specifically put up Blu and Jewel's picture when they were still chained together because at that point they were inseparable. It's the kind of love story I would want to have with God. Regardless of what I'm going through, I know it's possible to experience His love even there... That the hardships will only make me cling closer to Him and experience His love a little more...not the opposite.

I am opined that of all the apostles, Paul underwent the most suffering (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). It's beautiful that in the midst of it all, never did he murmur against God or doubt His love. It almost feels like he loved it. He was so in tune with God that even in prison he still pursued his calling. In his letter to the Philippians he's literally encouraging them, saying that whatever happened to him served to advance the gospel. How can a man who's gone through the most on account of God be so calm? So at peace? So content?

Check this:

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Romans 8:36-39 NIV

As it is written: "For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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That's the kind of full conviction I'd want to have. It isn't just enough to be a friend and lover of God in the garden. It matters more in the wilderness. It matters more when the love's been tested by fire, and has still been found worthy. I want to be a worthy lover, even in the wilderness. I want to feel the sweet sense of God's tender, protective love, even here.

God at times uses these wildernesses to remind us anew of His love, in case we ever forget. (Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her ~ Hosea 2:14).

In the same way He'd use anything, even what the enemy meant for evil, to try and remind us once more of just how much He loves us. The dimensions of His love are way beyond what we can comprehend. It's why it's not limited to gardens and flowers and trees. It's right there ~ in the darkest of nights, in the prison, the desert, the wilderness, even the valley of the shadow of death. It's definitely not as elaborate as in the banquet hall (Song 2:4), but it's just as real, even there.

In all honesty, I've been in a tight spot for most of this week. I texted a friend (her name's Angel 🤭) and asked her to ''tell me something nice.'' Next thing I know she sends me this set of verses: For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

My initial response was that of dismay. At that point I didn't see why it was necessary for me to be reminded of God's love, or what that had to do with the situation at hand. After sitting with that awhile, I realized that maybe I had lost sight of God's love in that moment. Maybe I no longer felt precious and honoured in His sight. Maybe I'd lost sight of His sovereignty and His willingness to ride across the heavens to help me (Deuteronomy 33:26).

When I finally grasped that bit, I too was calm, content and at peace, right there. It did not make sense instantly, but soon enough it did. It wasn't some kind of shield to prevent me from ever experiencing pain and suffering, but it kept me hidden in Christ in the midst of it all. For this reason, I will keep singing beautiful songs for the Lover of my soul, even here. 😊

Whether my prayers are answered speedily,

or are delayed beyond my expectation,

I will remain secure in Love.

Whether in the banquet hall

exchanging pleasantries,

or in the wilderness,

I will be steadfast.

"Though the fig tree does not bud 

and there are no grapes on the vines, 

though the olive crop fails 

and the fields produce no food, 

though there are no sheep in the pen 

and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD,

I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; 

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, 

He enables me to tread on the heights.

For the director of music.

On my stringed instruments."

(Habakkuk 3:17-19 NIV)

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What then is the perfect ending?

"There..." (whatever 'there' looks like for you...)

"There I felt the sweet sense of a tender, protecting love."

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"Though the mountains be shaken

and the hills be removed, 

yet my unfailing love for you 

will not be shaken 

nor my covenant of peace 

be removed,"

says the LORD, 

who has compassion on you. 

(Isaiah 54:10 NIV)