Enduring love: Receiving what cannot be earned
In a world where people casually use the word “love” saying how they love food or love their clothes or love their home or love their church or love the latest song on the radio, it is important to focus on a deeper, true kind of love that can only come from God.
Reading Psalm 136 will help you realize just how much God loves you. It will also emphasize in every verse that His love endures forever.
How wonderful it is to be the subject of someone’s love that endures forever. A love that doesn’t fade with time or change through the seasons. A love that’s anchored in the Heart of our Creator. A love that never gives up on us. A love that will last forever on this Earth and in Heaven, for all eternity. God loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus Christ to prove it (John 3:16).
Because of God’s enduring love for us, we have the hope and promise of Heaven for all who believe in Him and follow Him faithfully.
It is easy to get caught up into the idea that we need to perform or work our way into God’s heart of love. I have had this idea that God loves me only when I do good things, read the Bible every day, keep a good job, or donate to charity. But clearly none of our righteous works make God love us more or less (Isaiah 64:6) because He loves us unconditionally (Deuteronomy 7:9).
This is not a free pass to do and say whatever we want. God loves us too much to leave us in our sinful state. His love transforms us from having a heart of stone to having a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
When you accept Jesus into your heart, the love of God transforms you from the inside-out. Don’t be surprised if people say you’re glowing because the Light of God’s love causes you to do just that. It’s a beautiful thing that His love for you and in you draws people to Him.
The love of God cannot be contained. It is meant to be shared with everyone you meet. You may not have to speak a word for people to know that what they see is God’s love for humankind radiating through your entire being.
Stop striving to be perfect and instead, focus on being faithful to God. When you’re faithful to God because you love Him, everything else will fall into line, including your obedience to Him.
Scripture for meditation
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1-3, NIV)
Prompts for reflection and journaling
What does it mean to you to stop striving to be perfect but to focus on being faithful to God?
How does it make you feel to know that you cannot perform your way into God’s love?
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