God's Unshakeable Love: Finding Strength in Hard Times

Life is unpredictable. Truth be told, we are in a constant state of possibility—figuring out careers, relationships, and faith. But life has a way of knocking the breath out of us. At some point, we all face heartbreak, the loss of a loved one, or the weight of responsibilities we never saw coming. In the midst of changing possibilities, I want us to wrestle with this: When everything falls apart, does God’s love remain?

Some of us have already experienced hard things—divorce in our families, betrayal from trusted people, and the loss of dreams we held tightly. Maybe you are reading this and are still waiting for that first real storm to hit. Either way, the truth we’re going to dig into is this: God’s love is the only thing in this life that will never waver, never change, and never fail us.

God’s Love Is Not Like Human Love

Let’s be honest: human love is often conditional. It depends on how well we perform, how we make someone feel, or whether we meet expectations. Even the best people in our lives will fail us because we’re all broken. But God’s love? It’s different.

Romans 8:38-39, says: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Do you see that? Nothing—not even death—can separate us from His love. When we get the phone call that changes everything, when we feel abandoned, when our world crumbles, God's love still holds us.

I heard a story about a father whose son walked away from the faith, cut off all contact, and lived a reckless life. But every night, the father prayed for his son. He didn’t stop loving him, even when the relationship seemed dead. Years later, the son returned, broken and lost but ready to receive love from his dad. That’s a glimpse of God’s love for us. Even when we run and fail, He never stops loving us.

God’s Love Walks Through the Fire With You

A lot of people think God’s love is supposed to prevent suffering. But the Bible never makes this promise. What it does promise is God's love will carry us through it. "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." Isaiah 43:2 (ESV) The verse doesn’t say if you pass through the waters. It says when. The pain is coming. The loss is coming. The question is—will you cling to the God who walks through the fire with you?

Some of you have already faced deep wounds. You’ve stood at gravesides, you’ve wrestled with loneliness, and maybe you’ve wondered when the suffering is going to end. I have been there, too, wondering and waiting for the suffering to end. What I have learned is this: the presence of pain is not the absence of love. God’s love is often most visible in the middle of the fire, not before it.

Think about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They stood firm in their faith and got thrown into a fiery furnace. But when King Nebuchadnezzar looked inside, he saw not three men—but four. Jesus was in the fire with them. God’s love doesn’t always take you out of the fire. But it will carry you through it.

God’s Love Redeems the Pain

One of the most potent things about God’s love is that it doesn’t just sustain us in suffering—it redeems it. Romans 8:28 reminds us: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (ESV)

Notice that Romans 8:28 doesn’t say all things are good. Because let’s be honest—some things in life are terrible. Betrayal isn’t good. Cancer isn’t good. Losing someone you love isn’t good. But God is good. And in His love, He can take even the worst moments of our lives and bring beauty from them.

I know a woman who lost her husband unexpectedly. She didn’t think she’d survive the grief. But over time, God used her pain to minister to other widows, walk beside those suffering, and pour out love in a way she never could have. Her pain wasn’t wasted. It was transformed. God’s love doesn’t just get you through suffering. It gives suffering a purpose.

Resting in His Love Today

So, what do we do with this? How do we live in the security of God’s unshakable love?

1. Stop tying God’s love to your circumstances. His love isn’t measured by how easy or hard your life is. The cross measures it. When you doubt His love, look at Jesus—arms stretched wide, dying in your place. That’s the proof.

2. Remind yourself of Biblical truths when feelings lie to you. Feelings are real, but they aren’t always accurate. When life is heavy, when suffering comes, preach the truth of God’s Word to yourself. Nothing can separate me from His love. He is with me in the fire. He is working all things for good.

3. Lean into His love through community. One of the biggest lies we believe in suffering is that we must go through it alone. God didn't design us this way. Find people who will remind you of God’s love when you forget. Moreover, be that person for someone else.

Storms will come. People will fail us. Our hearts will break. But the love of God? It will never fail. We don’t have to be afraid of the future. We don’t have to wonder if we’re too far gone. We don’t have to question whether God will be there when life falls apart. His love is deeper than our failures. Stronger than our suffering. Bigger than our fears. And the good news? It’s ours forever.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your never-failing love. When we are weak, remind us of Your strength. When we doubt, remind us of the cross. When we suffer, remind us You are near. Give us the faith to trust Your love even in the fire. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Want to learn more about staying healthy and growing in your relationship with God? Check out my book Busting Barriers: Overcome Emptiness & Unleash Fruitful Living.