You may not know this about me, but I was married at 19 and divorced four years later. My ex-husband told me, “I don’t love you anymore.” I know I’m not the only one to have heard those words and walked through that heartache. God graciously sent me a man who told me “I love you” thirty-eight years ago and he continues to profess it and shows me every day that his love is true. I am grateful beyond words for my husband.
But there is One who loves me even more. This morning I was reading Psalms 136 – it’s one of my favorites (are there any that are not?). It is a Psalm of thanksgiving, praise, and faithfulness. The psalmist starts out: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. Give thanks to the God of gods. Give thanks to the Lord of lords; (vs. 1,2,3) and he continues for 23 more verses detailing reasons that he is thankful and awestruck. He praises God’s wonders, salvation, victories, and kindness to the people of Israel.
With every verse in this Psalm, the psalmist added: “His love endures forever.” Twenty-six times. Twenty-six professions of God’s love. It’s the same love that Paul detailed in 1 Corinthians 13: a love that is patient, kind, not easily angered, forgiving, and truthful. A love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. A love that never fails. Honestly, just knowing that God’s love is patient with me is balm to my heart. No matter how many times I falter – and it’s a lot – God never gives up on me. Because He loves me. And He loves you in the same way.
If you’re up for a challenge, spend some time listing out the goodness of God in your life – and be sure to add “His love endures forever” with each one. It’s a great way to transform and renew your mind and heart (Rom 12:2). Remember all those times we talked about Philippians 4:8 and training your mind to think about what is true? Beloved, there is no truer statement than this: God loves you and His love will never fail you. His love will never end – not by His choice or by your actions or by fading away with time. Because He is love. And He is eternal. He is eternal love. His love for you endures forever.
Deeper Roots 