1. Does the Lord only love those who follow him? Does he hate those who don't?
2. What does it mean when it says, "He chastened them because he loveth them?
Topic number 1 - God's constant love. This is a topic dear to my heart! I should like to shout from the housetops, "God is love!" He is not capable of hating. It is his nature to love, to invite, to pull, to beckon, "his arms are outstretched still." There is no reason to ever fear God. To be in His presence is to know love - perfect love
Now that is not to say that He is pleased when we do terrible things and especially when we hurt others. But there is a difference between God's love and His feelings about our bad deeds, our sins.
This leads to the second point. What does it mean that God chastens us because He loves?
In my mind God does not follow us around rewarding each good deed and punishing each bad deed. However, out of His great love for us and for all of His children, He created this earth and sent us here to give us an experience that would help us grow and learn and become like Him. That experience includes much adversity. In the midst of trying times I don't feel much gratitude for the trial but when I can step away and get some perspective, I know in my heart that BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE AND BECAUSE HIS WORK AND GLORY IS TO BRING TO PASS OUR IMMORTALITY AND ETERNAL LIFE- then I can trust that all the hard times, all the consequences of my own faults, all the adversity that is a part of His plan will ultimately work for my good.
I have faith that this is so because I know He loves each of us. There's something at work in all that happens here on earth that is written into the moral fiber of the universe. We cannot see it from this mortal perspective but you can never "see the forest for the trees". On the other side however it will all be clear. We came here where we "partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil". We are touched so deeply by both that we are ready to move forward in our progression, armed with knowledge and experience we could never have gained while living in the presence of God.
There will be much to discuss when we at last see it from that post mortal perspective. There will be a need for much healing. There we will be able to be grateful for the experience.
God's chastening is not a direct action aimed at an individual. It is the moral law built into the universe that allows us to learn when we make a mistake. All choices have consequences and consequences are great teachers. I fear some of those consequences may not be felt until we are in the next life.
If this is truly a learning experience preparing us for godhead then it is essential that we are confronted with all the consequences of our choices here on earth. I fear (while at the same time I welcome) meeting people whose lives I touched as well as those I never even knew I impacted for good and for ill. I want to make sure I learn every lesson that life on Earth offered me. I expect many tears and a lot of pain there. But there will also be many happy reunions and much rejoicing. I expect forgiveness will be the greatest asset as we confront the reality of our lives - forgiveness for ourselves and for others. And I hope the Savior will take me in His arms and hold me and let me feel the healing power that is His alone to give.
This will happen and will be possible because of God's love. It is only in the presence of love that we can be real and honest and experience this necessary learning and healing. I look forward to eternity because I know that God is love.
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