God Is too Loving

Charles Spurgeon once made what is probably my favorite statement outside of the Bible when he said, “God is too loving to be unkind and too wise to make a mistake and when we can’t see his hand we can always trust his heart.”

It causes me to think of Joseph in the Old Testament. Here was a young man who was hated by his jealous brothers, who plotted to kill but instead sold him into slavery, and they lied to their father claiming that he must be dead. He ended up in Egypt as a slave in the home of Potiphar. He was falsely accused of attempted rape by Potiphar’s wife and then put in prison for a crime he never committed. If anyone had a right to think that life was unfair and God is unkind it would be him. And we don’t know if and how often he struggled with these thoughts, but God saw this differently. God said in Genesis 39:21: “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor…” Joseph could not have possibly seen what God saw and that was that the things that were happening to him were part of God’s preparation. Later at the end of his life this is what is said about Joseph in Hebrews 11:22 – “By faith Joseph at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.” At that time Joseph knew that God had used him to preserve his people, and that God would one day bring the people of Israel back to the promised land. But at the time Joseph was in jail, he couldn’t see that God was going to use the interpretation of the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s men and the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream to elevate Joseph to second in command and provide for his family. He couldn’t see that then but he would later see the truth of Spurgeon’s statement, “God is too loving to be unkind and too wise to make a mistake and when we can’t see his hand we can always trust his heart.” When Joseph could not see God’s hands at work he could know that God’s loving heart was toward him.

A lot of times it is so much easier to understand that God’s loving heart provides forgiveness for our sins then it is to understand that his loving heart continues to look after us during the times when we can’t see his hand at work. Paul said in Romans 8:31-

"What then shall we say to these things: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger or sword?... No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels or 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.”

A few weeks back my son Tim was in town with his wife Jenny and their two boys Kai and Kieren. Kai had just turned four. Tim, who is a youth pastor has always been so unique, he has had Mohawk haircuts, had a high school graduation picture taken with a dickie work shirt that said “Gary’s used furniture” on the pocket flap, and the list could go on and on. Well he has a tattoo on his arm of Kai’s first EKG which I thought was Tim just being Tim. When Kai was born both his life and Jenny’s were in danger. They ended up in different hospitals with both fighting for their lives. The morning of Kai’s 4th birthday Tim and I had breakfast with two dear friends of mine Lenny and Reggie. During that time one of them asked Tim about the tattoo. Tim shared with them something I had forgotten. Tim told them that he called me in the midst of all that and said to me, “Am I cursed, why is this happening to me?” And I said, according to him rather sternly, “No God is about to perform a miracle,” and God did! That is why Tim had that tattoo put on his arm. It is a daily reminder that God is too loving to be unkind and too wise to make a mistake and when we can’t see his hand we can always trust his heart.” A reminder like when the Father God would tell Israel to place stones in certain areas, or Jacob and his well or the altars. They are to help us remember lest we forget His many benefits. Now I am not implying that this truth always leads to outcomes that we choose. Whether God heals or calls us home, or allows us to suffer or delivers us from that suffering we can hold to that statement of Spurgeon’s because it is rooted in the promise of God in Romans 8:28 that all things work together for good to those who love God and called according to his purpose!

Application:

• What are the spiritual tattoos or markers that you have in your life to remind you of God’s faithfulness?

• How can you change your thinking from, Life is not fair, to this was meant for evil but God means it for good?

©2025 David W. Drake, President, Renewed Hope, Inc.