Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts

by Jerry Bridges

Perhaps you wonder why, in a chapter on the love of God in adversity, I have seemingly digressed so extensively about our sinful condition. I have done so for two reasons: First, that we might see the depth of God’s love, not only in giving His one and only Son, but in giving Him to die for such people as Paul has described us to be. But I have dwelt on this point for another reason. When we begin to question the love of God, we need to remember who we are. We have absolutely no claim on His love. We don’t deserve one bit of God’s goodness to us. I once heard a speaker say, “Anything this side of hell is pure grace.” I know of nothing that will so quickly cut the nerve of a petulant, “Why did this happen to me?” attitude as a realization of who we are before God, considered in ourselves apart from Christ. We see then that God loved us when we were totally unworthy, when there was nothing whatsoever within us that would call forth His love. Any time that we are tempted to doubt God’s love for us, we should go back to the Cross. We should reason somewhat in this fashion: If God loved me enough to give His Son to die for me when I was His enemy, surely He loves me enough to care for me now that I am His child. Having loved me to the ultimate extent at the Cross, He cannot possibly fail to love me in my times of adversity. Having given such a priceless gift as His Son, surely He will also give all else that is consistent with His glory and my good. Note that I said we should r...