Choosing To Love God Even When Life Hurts - Encouragement for Today - March 12, 2025

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Tracie MilesMarch 12, 2025

Choosing To Love God Even When Life Hurts
TRACIE MILES

Lee en español

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8 (NLT)

Several years ago, I endured one of the hardest seasons I have ever experienced. My heart ached, my head spun with worry and stress, and my fears of what the future held were crippling.

There were days I wasn’t motivated to keep going or get out of bed, and the tears wouldn’t cease. Days when I questioned God about heartbreak and suffering, the seeming unfairness of life, and unanswered prayers.

Yet one particular day, amid an especially trying problem, my heart changed in a moment of prayer. I heard myself say something to God that caught me off guard. It was just one simple statement that rolled effortlessly off of my lips:

I still love You, Lord.

As my mind swirled with hurt and negative thoughts, my soul swirled with my love for Him, even when I didn’t think it could. And I knew His love for me didn’t waver.

As Romans 5:8 says, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

When life is going well, it’s easier to love God and believe He loves us. But when life falls apart or an unexpected hardship hits, it’s not as easy. It might even feel impossible. Those feelings and doubts don’t make us bad people or failures as believers. They merely make us human.

The upside is these thoughts can force us to ask ourselves some difficult questions: Despite everything, will I still love Jesus with my whole heart, soul and mind, even though He allowed these circumstances to happen? Will I still believe He loves me and has good plans in store?

Our honest answers to these questions serve as an indicator of whether we love the Lord just in the good times or all the time — when He gives and when He takes away, when He answers our deepest prayers and when we feel like He isn’t listening at all.

Maybe you’re facing a difficult time, an unexpected hurt or a painful loss. Perhaps you’re wondering if God hears your prayers or if He has forgotten you. Or possibly you’ve been secretly doubting if He loves you and if you still love Him.

You aren’t alone. Even the most faithful followers of Jesus have times of doubting His love. Times when they wonder if His love is meant for them or just everyone else.

Those thoughts are from the enemy who wants to cloud our minds, make us bitter, and pull us away from God. But Scripture tells us God sent His Son to die for us — even though we were still sinners — because He loves us that much.

We are so blessed to have the love of God. Will you love Him no matter what?

Dear Lord, forgive me for doubting Your love for me. Help me to focus on Your everlasting love, push past my doubts, and love You unconditionally despite my circumstances. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Isn’t it true that sometimes when we’re struggling the most, it also feels most challenging to pray? Friend, we understand. That’s why we created For the Girl Who Needs Hope: 60 Biblical Prayers for the Hard Moments. This resource will help you escape the feeling of never knowing what to pray by receiving 60 Scripture-inspired prayers that connect God's Word to specific situations you’re facing. And for a limited time … you get a copy when you give a donation of any amount to Proverbs 31 Ministries! Click here to give now.

width


If you’re going through a hard season, check out Tracie Miles’ books, God’s Got You: Embracing New Beginnings with Courage and Confidence and Unsinkable Faith: God-Filled Strategies to Transform the Way You Think, Feel, and Live.

ENGAGE

Life is hard, and change is difficult, but it can get better. Subscribe to Tracie’s blog to receive her free resource “10 Tips for Handling Change Well in Your New Season.”

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Jeremiah 31:3, “… I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (NIV).

What situation in your life has made you doubt God’s love? What is one thing you can do today to remind yourself of His unfailing love for you and to stir your love for Him? Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2025 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links


September 26 - Phoenix, AZ
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts


November 2 - Detroit, MI
Zion Christian Church in Troy


October 6 - Los Angeles, CA
Pasadena Convention Center


November 5 - San Antonio, TX
Norris Centers – The Grand Red Oak Ballroom


October 8 - Sacramento, CA
William Jessup University


November 7 - Tampa, FL
The Palladium at St. Pete College


October 22 - Minneapolis, MN
Crowne Plaza AiRE


November 15 - San Francisco, CA
Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley


October 23 - Philadelphia, PA
Green Valley Country Club


November 16 - Denver, CO
CU South Denver - Formerly Wildlife Experience


November 2 - Chicago, IL
Chicago Westin Northwest in Itasca


November 21 - Cleveland, OH
Holiday Inn Rockside in Independence



Salem Radio Network Speakers

Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

Sponsored by:

Choosing To Love God Even When Life Hurts - Encouragement for Today - March 12, 2025

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Tracie MilesMarch 12, 2025

Choosing To Love God Even When Life Hurts
TRACIE MILES

Lee en español

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Romans 5:8 (NLT)

Several years ago, I endured one of the hardest seasons I have ever experienced. My heart ached, my head spun with worry and stress, and my fears of what the future held were crippling.

There were days I wasn’t motivated to keep going or get out of bed, and the tears wouldn’t cease. Days when I questioned God about heartbreak and suffering, the seeming unfairness of life, and unanswered prayers.

Yet one particular day, amid an especially trying problem, my heart changed in a moment of prayer. I heard myself say something to God that caught me off guard. It was just one simple statement that rolled effortlessly off of my lips:

I still love You, Lord.

As my mind swirled with hurt and negative thoughts, my soul swirled with my love for Him, even when I didn’t think it could. And I knew His love for me didn’t waver.

As Romans 5:8 says, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

When life is going well, it’s easier to love God and believe He loves us. But when life falls apart or an unexpected hardship hits, it’s not as easy. It might even feel impossible. Those feelings and doubts don’t make us bad people or failures as believers. They merely make us human.

The upside is these thoughts can force us to ask ourselves some difficult questions: Despite everything, will I still love Jesus with my whole heart, soul and mind, even though He allowed these circumstances to happen? Will I still believe He loves me and has good plans in store?

Our honest answers to these questions serve as an indicator of whether we love the Lord just in the good times or all the time — when He gives and when He takes away, when He answers our deepest prayers and when we feel like He isn’t listening at all.

Maybe you’re facing a difficult time, an unexpected hurt or a painful loss. Perhaps you’re wondering if God hears your prayers or if He has forgotten you. Or possibly you’ve been secretly doubting if He loves you and if you still love Him.

You aren’t alone. Even the most faithful followers of Jesus have times of doubting His love. Times when they wonder if His love is meant for them or just everyone else.

Those thoughts are from the enemy who wants to cloud our minds, make us bitter, and pull us away from God. But Scripture tells us God sent His Son to die for us — even though we were still sinners — because He loves us that much.

We are so blessed to have the love of God. Will you love Him no matter what?

Dear Lord, forgive me for doubting Your love for me. Help me to focus on Your everlasting love, push past my doubts, and love You unconditionally despite my circumstances. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Isn’t it true that sometimes when we’re struggling the most, it also feels most challenging to pray? Friend, we understand. That’s why we created For the Girl Who Needs Hope: 60 Biblical Prayers for the Hard Moments. This resource will help you escape the feeling of never knowing what to pray by receiving 60 Scripture-inspired prayers that connect God's Word to specific situations you’re facing. And for a limited time … you get a copy when you give a donation of any amount to Proverbs 31 Ministries! Click here to give now.

width


If you’re going through a hard season, check out Tracie Miles’ books, God’s Got You: Embracing New Beginnings with Courage and Confidence and Unsinkable Faith: God-Filled Strategies to Transform the Way You Think, Feel, and Live.

ENGAGE

Life is hard, and change is difficult, but it can get better. Subscribe to Tracie’s blog to receive her free resource “10 Tips for Handling Change Well in Your New Season.”

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Jeremiah 31:3, “… I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (NIV).

What situation in your life has made you doubt God’s love? What is one thing you can do today to remind yourself of His unfailing love for you and to stir your love for Him? Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2025 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links

On Air & Up Next

See the Full Program Guide