Today there are motivational trainers for managers, employees, athletes and others. Motivational courses are designed to motivate people. What motivates God?

The apostle John provides the answer: "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8).

The motivation for everything God does is love. His every thought, word and action is an expression of love. God is almighty and able to do whatever He pleases. That is also the case with tyrants, but there is a huge difference with God. Everything He does, even if some things might seem arbitrary to us, is the result of love. Even the trials that God permits in our lives express His love, as we see in Hebrews 12, verses 5-11 and in Job's life.

Job's trial might seem to be a terrible experience to us, but he needed this trial to learn valuable lessons about his relationship to God. Psalm 84, verse 11 tells us: "No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." If God had not tested Job, He would have withheld something good from him and made Himself guilty of hating Job (see Proverbs 13:24).

God loves us, and for that reason He allows us to experience trials that serve to mold our character in His image. Only God has the wisdom to allow a trial that will not be more than what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) but still serve its purpose. Whatever God allows in our life, we can take comfort in the fact that it serves a worthwhile purpose: "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Our parents corrected us when we were children. At the moment we were being corrected, did we thank our parents for the love they expessed by providing that correction? Probably not!

Never forget that whatever God does, He is always motivated by love.

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!