Trials show God’s love for us

Trials are designed by God for our good. They are custom-fitted for each of us, made with great care and thoughtfulness to help uncover the enemy within and purify our hearts to create a dwelling-place for the Spirit. “The Lord disciplines the one He loves.” Trials show God’s great knowledge of us–for how else could He design the trial that would benefit the most?–and most of all, His great love for us. God says, “I love you,” and this is how he shows his love for you: “I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” [Is. 43.25]. “For my own sake.” God doesn’t love us because we are lovable. We are lovable because God loves us and for no other reason. Why should this reassure us? It is because God’s love for us is not a matter of our own character, which is changeable and imperfect, but of His eternal nature. We are called by His name, for His glory. This means that God’s love for us is linked directly to His love for Himself. Until God ceases to love Himself or desire His name to be glorified, he can never cease to love His people, because it is through us that he has chosen to display the riches and glory of His grace in Christ Jesus. Discipline is never a punishment. God never punishes us, because He already punished Jesus for all of our sins, and there are none remaining that He should punish us for. He only disciplines us for our good. He is the Father who never gets angry at us, who only desires what is best for us. So trials are never a sign of God’s wrath, but always a sign of His abiding, eternal love.