God’s Love Is Enduring

1-2. What challenge do many Christians face?

IMAGINE a boat in the middle of a turbulent storm. Churning waves are tossing the vessel up and down. That boat will go wherever the waves take it, unless someone uses an anchor. An anchor will steady the boat and keep it from drifting as the storm rages.

² When you are enduring a turbulent trial, you might feel like that boat. Your emotions can go up and down. One day you are confident of Jehovah’s love and support; the next day you wonder if he even sees what you are going through. (Ps. 10:1; 13:1) Perhaps a friend offers words of comfort, and you feel better for a while. (Prov. 17:17; 25:11) But then the doubts return. You might even wonder if Jehovah has given up on you. How can you be anchored, so to speak, as you face a trial? In other words, how can you be assured​—and remain assured—​of Jehovah’s love and support?

3. What is the meaning of “loyal love,” as mentioned at Psalm 31:7 and 136:1, and why can we say that Jehovah is the supreme example of it? (See also picture.)

³ One way you can be anchored during a trial is to remember Jehovah’s loyal love. (Read Psalm 31:7; 136:1.) The term “loyal love” conveys the idea of a deep and lasting attachment that one person has for another. Jehovah is the supreme example of loyal love. In fact, the Bible describes him as being “abundant in loyal love.” (Ex. 34:6, 7) The Bible also says of Jehovah: “You abound in loyal love for all those who call on you.” (Ps. 86:5) Think what that means: Jehovah never abandons his faithful servants! Remembering that Jehovah is loyal can anchor you as you face a turbulent trial.​—Ps. 23:4.

THINK OF JEHOVAH’S LOVE AS A BASIC BIBLE TEACHING

4. Give examples of basic Bible teachings, and explain why we are not easily swayed.

⁴ Another way you can be anchored during a trial is to think of Jehovah’s love as a basic Bible teaching. What does the phrase “basic Bible teaching” mean to you? Perhaps you think of the doctrinal truths that you have learned from God’s Word. For example, you have learned that God’s name is Jehovah, that Jesus is God’s only-begotten Son, that the dead are unconscious, and that there will be an earthly paradise in which humans will live forever. (Ps. 83:18; Eccl. 9:5; John 3:16; Rev. 21:3, 4) Once you accepted those teachings, you were not easily swayed. Why? Because you came to realize that they are rooted in facts. Let us see how viewing Jehovah’s love as a basic Bible teaching can help you to dispel the thought that Jehovah does not care about or notice what you are going through.

5. Describe how false teachings are overturned.

⁵ When you first studied the Bible, what helped you to reject false teachings? Likely, you were helped by comparing what you were taught by your religion with what the Scriptures teach. Consider one example: Suppose you once believed that Jesus is Almighty God. As you studied the Bible, though, you asked yourself, ‘Is that teaching really true?’ After examining the Scriptural evidence, you were able to answer no. Then you replaced the false teaching with this Scriptural truth: Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation,” “the only-begotten Son of God.” (Col. 1:15; John 3:18) Of course, false teachings can be “strongly entrenched” and difficult to overturn. (2 Cor. 10:4, 5) But once you were able to do so, you did not return to the doctrines that you left behind.​—Phil. 3:13.

6. Why can you be confident that Jehovah’s “loyal love endures forever”?

⁶ You can take a similar approach regarding what the Bible teaches about Jehovah’s love. As you face a trial, if you begin to doubt Jehovah’s love, ask yourself, ‘Is my thinking sound?’ Compare your doubts about Jehovah’s love with the words of Psalm 136:1​—the theme scripture for this article. Why does Jehovah describe his love as “loyal”? Why is the thought that “his loyal love endures forever” repeated 26 times in that psalm? As we have considered, Jehovah’s loyal love for his people is a fundamental Bible teaching, much like other doctrines that you have readily accepted from God’s Word. The idea that Jehovah views you as worthless or unlovable is a falsehood. Reject that belief, just as firmly as you would reject any other false teaching!

7. Give some examples of scriptures that provide assurances of Jehovah’s love.

⁷ The Bible contains many other assurances of Jehovah’s love. For example, Jesus said to his followers: “You are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matt. 10:31) Jehovah himself said to his people: “I will fortify you, yes, I will help you, I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness.” (Isa. 41:10) Note how firm those statements are. Jesus does not say ‘You might be worth more,’ and Jehovah does not say ‘I might help you.’ Rather, they say: “You are worth more” and “I will help you.” If you ever doubt Jehovah’s love as you face a trial, such scriptures can do more than just help you feel better; they can help you know better. They are rooted in facts. Prayerfully meditating on that will move you to echo the words of 1 John 4:16: “We have come to know and believe the love that God has for us.”a

8. What can you do if at times you doubt whether Jehovah loves you?

⁸ What, though, if at times you still doubt Jehovah’s love? Compare what you feel with what you know. Feelings are not as reliable as facts, but Jehovah’s love as taught in the Scriptures is a fact. To think otherwise is to overlook the very core of Jehovah’s personality​—his love.​—1 John 4:8.

REFLECT ON JEHOVAH’S “AFFECTION FOR YOU”

9-10. What is the context of Jesus’ words “The Father himself has affection for you,” as recorded at John 16:26, 27? (See also picture.)

⁹ We can learn more about Jehovah’s love by considering Jesus’ statement to his followers: “The Father himself has affection for you.” (Read John 16:26, 27.) Jesus did not say these words just to make his disciples feel good. In fact, the context reveals that he was not addressing their feelings at that moment. Rather, he was discussing a different matter​—prayer.

¹⁰ Jesus had just told his disciples that they should pray through him but not to him. (John 16:23, 24) It was important for them to know that. After his resurrection, the disciples might have been inclined to pray to Jesus. After all, they had come to know Jesus as a friend. They could have reasoned that his affection for them would move him to hear their entreaties and present their requests to the Father. However, Jesus said that they should not think this way. Why? Because, he told them: “The Father himself has affection for you.” That fact is part of the Bible’s basic teaching about prayer. Consider what that means for you: Through your study of the Bible, you have come to know and to love Jesus. (John 14:21) But like the first-century disciples, you can confidently pray to God, knowing that he “himself has affection for you.” You demonstrate your faith in those words each time you pray to Jehovah.​—1 John 5:14.

UNDERSTAND WHERE DOUBTS COME FROM

11. Why would Satan be glad if we were to doubt Jehovah’s love?

¹¹ Where do doubts about Jehovah’s love come from? You might answer that they originate with Satan, and there is some truth to that. The Devil is “seeking to devour” us, and he would be glad if we were to doubt Jehovah’s love. (1 Pet. 5:8) After all, Jehovah’s love moved Him to provide the ransom​—something that Satan would like us to feel unworthy of. (Heb. 2:9) But who benefits if we doubt Jehovah’s love? Satan does. And whose purpose is served if we give up under hardship? It is Satan’s. Consider the irony of Satan’s attempt to make us doubt Jehovah’s love. Satan is really the one who has lost Jehovah’s love. Yet, in one of his most “crafty acts,” he tries to make us feel that we are the ones who are unloved and condemned by Jehovah. (Eph. 6:11) When we realize what our enemy is trying to do, we can strengthen our resolve to “oppose the Devil.”​—Jas. 4:7.

12-13. How might our inherited sinful condition cause us to doubt Jehovah’s love?

¹² Doubts about Jehovah’s love can come from another source. What would that be? Our inherited sinful condition. (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:12) Sin has alienated man from his Creator. It has also damaged his mind, heart, and body.

¹³ Sin has produced an emotional upheaval in us, causing us to feel guilt, anxiety, insecurity, and shame. We can experience those feelings when we commit a sin. But they can also surface because we are constantly aware of our sinful state​—a condition that is entirely out of harmony with the way we were created. (Rom. 8:20, 21) Just as a vehicle with a flat tire cannot operate at peak efficiency, we as imperfect people cannot function at our full potential, the way we were designed to. It is not surprising, therefore, that at times we struggle with doubts about Jehovah’s love. If that happens, we should remember that Jehovah is “the great and awe-inspiring God who . . . shows loyal love to those who love him and keep his commandments.”​—Neh. 1:5.

14. How can reflecting on the ransom help us dispel the idea that Jehovah could never love us? (Romans 5:8) (See also the box “Guard Against ‘the Deceptive Power of Sin.’”)

¹⁴ True, we may occasionally feel that we are not worthy of Jehovah’s love. And strictly speaking, we are not worthy of it​—and that’s what makes it so profound. We do not earn Jehovah’s love on our own merit. Still, the ransom covers our sins, and Jehovah has made that provision because he loves us. (1 John 4:10) Remember, too, that Jesus came to save sinners, not perfect people. (Read Romans 5:8.) None of us can do things perfectly, and Jehovah does not expect us to. When we understand that our sinful condition can cause us to doubt Jehovah’s love, we can become even more determined to fight its grip on our thinking.​—Rom. 7:24, 25.

CHOOSE TO REMAIN LOYAL

15-16. If we remain loyal to Jehovah, of what can we be assured, and why? (2 Samuel 22:26)

¹⁵ Jehovah wants us to make the right choice by “sticking to him.” (Deut. 30:19, 20) If we do so, we can be certain that he will remain loyal to us. (Read 2 Samuel 22:26.) As long as we remain loyal to Jehovah, we can count on him to help us through any situation that arises in our life.

¹⁶ As we have discussed, we have every reason to remain anchored as we face trials. We know that Jehovah loves us and will support us. That is what the Bible teaches. If we ever doubt his love, we can reflect on what we know to be true rather than on what we feel to be true. Let us remain confident in the Bible-based truth that Jehovah’s loyal love endures forever.