God’s Love? in times of trouble

Sorry you are having a bad day, my friend.

Let's get some additional information from the scriptures:

The axe represents judgment. "Axe laid at the root". Therefore when Elisha removed the axe from the water it was a picture of Jesus removing judgment from the word.

Now look at Deut 19: 5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live: 6 Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

In sensus plenior we discern that the act of accidentally killing the friend was an act of hate. How can this be?

Sin nature is acting instinctively like animals rather than placing the Word of God, and love of others first.

An accident, is an act where you do not think of the other first, or you would have checked the axe head and made sure he was in a safe place. It is a sin of the flesh... acting without considering.

The act of judging [axing] another is an act of hate.

In this context, self-love is the sinful instinctive nature. Self-loathing is still a condition of putting oneself first. Measuring oneself by oneself as though you were the center of the universe. And actions taken while depressed, though they may look like they are self-destructive, are still they actions you decided were best for you in the flesh.

This self-love is a given in scriptures, which is why you will never find it saying that you must love yourself in order to love others.

Christ says that we are to die to self. When you are feeling down, seek to serve others. It takes your mind off your fleshly self, and is the essence of love. "If you do right, won't you be lifted up?"

As far as the circumstances go, when we realize that the circumstances are opportunities to practice trusting God and putting off the old man, we can accept them with joy as if they were gifts from God.

So loving your neighbor as yourself means to develop an instinctive response of putting others first, which we can do if we receive all things with thanksgiving.