11/05/2019
How good do we think God is? How faithful is He to His Word, and how complete is His love for us? As Christians we have the utmost faith in these virtues of God because we see their evidence revealed to us through Jesus Christ. He gave the very life of His Son Jesus in exchange for our redemption, His goodness is revealed to us by His Holy Spirit, and He showers us in a cleansing downpour of mercy, and grace.
“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
Psalms 100:5 ESV
There will never be an end to the goodness of God; just as it was for Abraham, so it was for Peter, and just as it was for Paul, so it is for us today. The love of God knows no beginning nor end, and He lavishes it upon us... even while we were yet sinners He extended His embrace to us, and He described His everlasting love to Jeremiah in this way...
“Thus says the Lord: "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”
Jeremiah 31:2-3 ESV
Everlasting love... of how many people in our lives can we truly describe our love as being everlasting... and then love them in such a way? Do we just pledge our love without giving of ourselves in such fashion? Unless we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we can’t begin to know eternity, so how can those who don’t love God ever hope to love another similarly?
Men have long pledge endless, and even eternal, love in verse, and longed to love without end, but in the end even the greatest poets find themselves halted by time and death... even when they attempt wholeheartedly to describe their love as eternal. Listen as Robert Burns makes such an attempt...
A Red, Red Rose
By Robert Burns
O my Luve is like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve is like the melody
That’s sweetly played in tune.
So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.
Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve!
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.
We try but are not able to understand eternal love until we experience the love of God, and witness His faithfulness. The seas always go dry, the rocks finally melt, and the sands of time come to an end. It is only the verses of those like the Psalmist that can reveal to us true and never ending love by relating God’s love to us...
“But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.”
Psalms 103:17-18 ESV
In God we find eternal love, goodness, faithfulness, and the unending nature of every virtue. in Him we learn to love, just as Jesus knew love... a love so complete that it is described as being the greatest love man can know...
“"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:12-13 ESV
So, are we prepared to love in the way God loves, and to give of ourselves as Jesus did? Are we willing to step beyond our life into eternity, and do so in full possession of goodness, and love, or is experiencing these virtues in this life all that we aspire to?
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."”
Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your eternal goodness, and for your love that is with us without beginning nor end. Thank you for the sacrifice of love that you made when you sent your Son Jesus to redeem us, and for the great love that He embraced as a man who gave up His life for us... yielding Himself that we might live. Teach us to love Father, and help us as we seek eternity with you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who loves beyond our ability to understand, and exhibits goodness, and faithfulness that can never be contained. Praised be your name and it is our prayer that we might praise you forevermore. All glory is yours Father, and it stems from your love as it flows in fountains of grace, and mercy, through Jesus. Hear our songs of love Father, and know that we long to sing them at your feet without ceasing.
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV
Rich Forbes