"Understood" -2

Now that we have that understood, I think we can move on to the next matter; but it is not really possible to do that unless we have understood how we are to move about in God's love. The next matter has to do with trials and our ability to actually be assured that we can have comfort in the midst of the trial. Maybe it's just me, but the way I see it, John is trying to explain something which is not easily explained, about how God's love does not only provide for loving others, but His love also provides for strength through any trial. In fact, I will take it even further than that, and say that God's love also provides the victory we need over our sins. I know I have shared on this before, but this is different, because this is about love. Do you love God? He will still love you, even if you said no, because He is all about loving those that have not loved Him. That is what makes this extraordinary relationship possible, in that He loves us despite ourselves; that His love for us is not based upon what we do; however, our love for Him is! In this we know that we love God, when we keep His commandments! What John is trying to tell us is that God's love is like a vacuum; where once you are in His love, everything that matters in your life is sucked into a whole new world, that is not of this world. No longer will you care to sin, because you love God; no longer can you hate your brother, because you love God; no longer will you have any fear of a trial, because you love God. And the greatest thing about this extraordinary relationship is that this love which we have towards God is not based upon our love, or our ability to love, but it is based upon His love which He demonstrated by sending His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Sins which include our inadequacies to love the way we are meant to love, but that require a broken spirit to be washed over. Here is the thing that I see in this: the first major factor in our ability to face any kind of trial, is that we have first understood the love of God; without having done that, and without having lived out His love in our life, we are doomed to fail the test of even the smallest of trials; because His love is the strength beneath our wings, and if we are going to soar like an eagle through any trial, then like an eagle, we must learn to fly and to understand how these wings work... "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." (1 John 5:1-4)