Resting in God's Love — K.P. Yohannan

Are you discouraged by what's taking place around you, or maybe a heavy trial has hit and you feel unloved or alone? Richard Bews invites you to think with K .P. Yohanan about God's love and care for you, next, on the Road to Reality.

God's Love in the Midst of Trials

There are dark days. The ship sails very smooth and no storm, everything is well, but then the storm comes. You never know it's going to happen. What will sustain us? That is a fundamental question. It is no matter what happens, my God, He understands, He cares.

In the long run, everything will be OK.

You can see it written on the faces of countless people on trains, in the buses or on the streets. People hurting, disheartened, unloved, lonely, some worried about the future or troubled by the present.

These are difficult days and we don't need to remind each other of that, but what will pull us through and put our hearts at rest? Is it possible to experience peace and rest? Brother K .P. Yohanan says that if we come to an understanding of God's love and care for us, we can.

So let's set aside today's Road to Reality to talk about God's unconditional love for you and me. This is your host Richard Bews with the Radio Weekly Ministry of Gospel for Asia. We start off in the Bible book of Galatians.

Crucified with Christ and Loved by God

All right, Galatians 2 .20. We have this verse Paul writes from his own experience, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God.

Notice the next statement, who loved me and gave himself for me. I think one of the most painful existence for anyone is to feel unloved and unwanted. And Mother Teresa said this, as far as I'm concerned, the greatest suffering in the world is to feel alone, unwanted, unloved.

And there are people who live with perpetual guilt. They try to shake it off, but somehow they are reminded of the past and they cannot get rid of it. And then they read books and have high standards or spirituality or godliness, which they hear from somebody preaching or reading books, although it may take another 30 years for them even to begin to walk in it, but at least the understanding in their head is all these high standards and all those things.

And they live with a certain extent of legalism, that is, they never feel at peace. It is an endless striving for something they see out there far away, and then they end up demanding from others. And then there is a problem people live with is constant worry and tension and agony.

There's never a sense of stability and security in life. It is always living with some hope, something is going to happen and I'm going to be happy, but it seems they never attain it. And there's no freedom to share, to be open and be transparent.

And there is some extent of self-rejection, that nothing seems to give them the place to love themselves and understand. There's no peace. I think you can add more to this list. Even those who are in God's work, you will find it true often.

Keep on striving and doing more to be accepted, to be understood, to be loved. And it seems a life of restlessness. In the Old Testament, people who broke the Sabbath, the day of rest was stoned to death.

Entering the Rest Promised to God's People

In the New Testament, we are told in Hebrews, now remains a rest for God's people. It is not Saturday, but it's talking about a life where we come to the place like a dry leaf in the wind, total peace and rest.

And the people that are most effective in their life here on earth are people who are able to come to the place of rest. No more striving and agonizing and fighting and always trying to figure out how to get their way and this and that.

You know, just at peace. And I think that comes to us by understanding of God's love for us, being totally secure, understanding that he loves us, he cares about us no matter what. The bad boy in Luke 15 did all the miserable thing in the whole world you can imagine.

But then he would come home to the father because he knew no matter what, somehow the father loved him. Whereas the older boy would keep on working from morning till night to find something from his father.

And the father said, son, this all yours. You don't have to fight for it. There's nothing you can do anymore. It's all yours. The most miserable people are people who live with this tension always. Am I doing well?

Am I performing what others are thinking about me? And always nervous about their life and existence. And my brothers and sisters, I think more than being understood by other people, accepted by other people, loved by other people, which is important.

It is more important for us to come to the place we are totally secure in the father's love, in God's love. And I think the illustrations in the Bible are endless. If you look at the life of Judas, who else you want to find a person who is really bad, lived with Christ for three and a half years, then you'll end up betraying Christ for a few pennies.

But you read the story there, even to the last second, none of the disciples knew it was Judas who's going to do this wicked thing. Christ could have proclaimed the whole thing and he didn't. And there you understand, it says that he loved them till the very end, no matter what he was thinking to do, what he was about, Jesus loved him.

Jesus' Welcome to Sinners and His Call to Rest

And you find Jesus in the company of the worst in the society, the drunkards, the prostitutes, the sinners. And I think it is obvious, as Gayle Irwin often speaks, they found Christ to be one who didn't condemn anyone.

He loved them. The only people he abused, it was the Pharisees who had high standards for themselves or others, they were miserable people to live with. And he said, you all are going to hell. And I think their problem was not understanding the nature of God.

I do not know very many answers to people who live with such tension on the inside. Their relationship is broken. They are always gossiping, hearing gossip and criticizing and have to do something to prove themselves.

They never come to the place of rest. I think the real fundamental problem is their lack of understanding. God loves me. He cares about me. And he knows me very well. And I am safe and secure, no matter what, even when we fail miserably.

Peter, I think with all the revelation he had, you know, in the end, he says, I don't know this man. He uses vulgar words he possibly can find to prove his point that he had nothing to do with Christ.

But then, finally, Christ comes to him. Never ask, why did you do that? What caused you to deny me and curse me out? Nothing like that. He simply asked, do you love me? In other words, I care about you so much that I came after you just for you.

And I think one of the more difficult things for us to understand is that God must love me because I'm doing all these things. And we can't understand or accept this. His love is unconditional. Especially if you grew up in a home where you never understood or experienced your father's love.

And I think a lot of people do struggle, especially if they grow up in a home where parents are divorced and struggles and problems and all those things. And it's hard to relate to something like this.

But that is the reason I think God has given us plenty of illustrations in the scripture to make us understand that.

Yes, so God's love is based on who he is and not on what we've done. Aren't we thankful for that? His love is unconditional. And we'll talk more about that in a minute. You're listening to K .P. Yohannan on the Road to Reality.

Sharing God's Love With the Untouchable Children of Asia

We're being encouraged to rest in God's love. And as we come to understand God's love for us, he then calls us to share that love with others. We've actually an exciting opportunity to learn more about doing that through a DVD called Touch of Love.

In it, K .P. will take us on a guided tour through Asia with the hope and prayer that we'll come to see the so-called untouchable children of Asia as Jesus sees them. Capture the heart of Jesus Christ and see how to reach them with his eternal love.

The DVD, again called Touch of Love, is just two pounds. Go to roadtoreality .org .uk, that's roadtoreality .org .uk, or call us on 01904 643 233. That's 01904 643 233. Here's K .P. now with the rest of his message on God's love for you and me.

Trusting God When the Storm Comes

I heard this story about a little boy who was going into a major surgery. And when he came out, the question was asked, were he not scared? And he said, the whole time I said to myself, when I'm afraid, I will trust in you.

And I don't think any of us can say that we will not have those difficult times. There are dark days. The ship sails very smooth and no storm, everything is well. But then the storm comes. You never know it's going to happen.

It could be the test that just the doctor said, sorry, this is what's happening. Or some bad news or whatever. What will sustain us? That is a fundamental question. It is no matter what happens. My God, he understand he cares.

In the long run, everything will be okay. Now, this has so little to do with doctrines and correctness of beliefs. This has everything to do with faith. Faith in what? Faith in the goodness and the love of God.

And that's what makes us also to serve without grudging and murmuring and bickering and fighting. I think the classic illustration you find in the life of Jacob, the man who fell in love with Rachel. And then in the end, he got cheated by his father-in-law.

Love That Sustains Faithful Service

He married the wrong girl. But then he must work seven more years. So 14 years he worked like a slave to get this girl. And he says it was like just one day because he loved Rachel. And I think rules and regulations and need and opportunity, all those things are out there.

And we can and we will come to the place where we say it's not fair. I am working so hard. That person is not. And what is it about me? And I have my rights and now are my expectations. And I deserve this.

And that happens all the time in the lives of people when they walk out of this realm of I'm doing all this because of his love. And Paul said this, the love of Christ compels me, constrains me. So if you are one person who feel discouraged or disheartened and feel alone and lonely, whatever else you're going through, maybe you should spend a little more time to think about God's love for you and his concern for you.

And he said, I will never, never leave you, nor will I forsake you. But then you read in the book of Hebrews chapter 11, some of the greatest sayings that God approved and put his stamp on went through the most difficult times in life.

And God said, he's mine, she's mine. Based on this, that they simply said, whatever happens. My life is secure. It is not measured by whatever they were able to get for their life, but rather the way they are related to God.

And may I encourage you to meditate more on this and understand this. And if that be the case, I think our life will become a little more easier. And there's no amount of teaching or exhortation or doctrinal knowledge or whatever can liberate us from ourselves than this one truth that you are loved and I am loved just the way God the father loved his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, no less that you find in the gospel of John chapter 17.

Experiencing God's Love by Loving Others

And I think if that be the case, then it is easier for us to accept others. Because how do we experience the love of God? How do we experience? And I think we experience that more than any other way by loving others in whom in that sister and brother, God resides.

And we give and we receive and we understand it. And people who are very private and very alone often are the people who cry a lot alone because they are in their own world. And may God help us as a group, as a movement to come to the place individually and as group as a collective group here that we will think more about God's love and his care about us.

That will sustain us. And I think I say this to you because in my own life, I find with all the knowledge I have and understanding and everything. In the end, I find the most comfort and inner strength and courage when I stop and say, you know, he cares about me.

It's not based on what I do. It's unconditional. And that brings peace and security. So let's take a minute to pray and ask the Lord to help us as we journey on understanding more of his grace and love for us.

Prayer for Rest in God's Unconditional Love

Let us pray. Our father, we want to come before you and thank you for loving us. It's not based on anything that we have done. You love us because it's your nature. Forgive us for the times we strive and and try to do this and that to meet expectations of ourself or somebody else.

Forgive us for the times we complain and murmur and look for our own interest and demand our rights. Forgive us for the times we live with tension and worry and care about tomorrow and the future. Forgive us, oh Lord, for the doubt and confusion that we often live with because we refuse to understand your love and your promises and your care.

And tonight, I pray, Lord, that as individuals, there's not one person here will fail to enter into the rest, knowing that you love us. There's nothing we can do, even the darkest of sins or the greatest of doing things that would hurt you and displease you.

There's nothing we can ever do that will stop you from loving us. Help us, oh Lord, to picture you and see you as the father that waits and waits and waits for the son to come home. And Lord, I pray for my brothers and sisters who in the inner chambers of their heart still struggles, living with the tension and anger and often hating themselves and some living with the pretense.

Yet on the inside, they hurt so badly. Oh dear Lord, I pray that you liberate them, help them to understand that your love is so absolutely unconditional and you will walk with them till the very last second of their life, longing for them to understand you.

And tonight, Lord, I pray, if there be someone here that lives with guilt and burdens of the past or the failures of the past, I pray, oh God, that you help them to understand. You do not hold nothing against them.

You have forgiven them so completely and you remember none of those things and you never will. Dear Lord, I pray that you rebuke the demons, the powers of darkness that continues to remind my brothers and sisters of the past and cause them to strive again, to do good and perform better, to find peace on the inside.

Oh Lord, please set them free from such bondage. And I pray that somehow you will help us to understand the brother, the sister that we live with, dear Lord, they represent you. And our love and forgiveness and kindness and forgetfulness is the way they can touch you and feel you.

And dear Lord, thank you tonight that you are more than able to change our hearts and make us whole. And we confess tonight with Paul, he loved me and gave himself for me. Lord, what more do we want? You gave yourself for me, for each one of us.

Thank you for such grace, such love. I pray that you'll continue to lead us, that we may grow in love and understanding of you.

Resting in God's Love and Extending It to Others

We're deeply loved and we can rest in that great love in Christ. Thanks for joining us today for The Road to Reality with K .P. Yohannan. It's a ministry of Gospel for Asia. As K .P. was describing God's love and then encouraging us to channel that love to others, we surely couldn't help but think of the untouchable children of Asia, many without the basic necessities of life.

Talk about a golden opportunity we have to share God's love with young people in need. Gospel for Asia has a DVD called Touch of Love. You'll see for yourself what these dear children go through and how we can extend the love of Christ to them.

We suggest a donation of maybe two pounds, Touch of Love. Call us on 01904 643 233. That's 01904 643 233. Or, order your copy through our website at roadtoreality .org .uk. While you're there, take a look at Bridge of Hope, a ministry aimed at reaching the children of Asia.

That's at roadtoreality .org .uk. And remember yourself to rest in God's love through both highs and lows, and you'll experience His peace that passes understanding. The Road to Reality is brought to you by Gospel for Asia.

I'm Richard Buse, and it's a blessing to me to join you today. Until next time, you be aware of Christ's touch on you by day and night.