Unfailing
January 1, 2016
What are your worst fears? Death of a loved one? Financial ruin? Illness? Betrayal? Humiliation?
It’s a new year. And not one of us can be certain of exactly what will happen in our lives. Any number of terrible things could happen this year. Or next year. Or at some point in this lifetime. How can we not be fearful? Is there anything we can be certain of?
“’Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” –Isaiah 54:10
Did you catch that? What is it that will stand when all else falls? His unfailing love.
Now look at Psalm 136:1-9
The Psalm has 26 verses and says 26 times: “His love endures forever.” I think God wants us to know just what it is that we can be certain of. His unfailing love.
A couple days ago I was working on a Bible study called “Breaking Free” by Beth Moore. She asked me to do two things that really spoke to me about how powerful the unfailing love of God is. The first was that I write down four variables in my life. So I pondered what uncertainties worry me the most in this season of my life. Here is what I wrote:
1. I do not know what jobs my husband and I will have.
2. I do not know our future income level.
3. I do not know our future health.
4. I do not know when Seth or my children will die.
Beth wrote: “You’ve just written a very personal and simple psalm embodying a great truth. Read all four statements aloud, repeating the ‘chorus’ from Psalm 136 (‘but His love endures forever’) after each one.”
So my personal psalm sounds like this:
I do not know what jobs my husband and I will have,
but His love endures forever.
I do not know our future income level,
but His love endures forever.
I do not know our future health,
but His love endures forever.
I do not know when Seth or my children will die,
but His love endures forever.
Do you see how powerful this truth is? No matter what happens to me, His love endures forever. Can you think of your own variables and insert them into Psalm 136? Go ahead and close your eyes for a minute and say what you’re uncertain of, and then claim this promise, but His love endures forever!
Another wonderful Bible passage is found in Romans 8:38-39. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The second thing Beth Moore asked that I do in this lesson was to write the things I fear the most and exchange them for Paul’s examples in these verses. Here is what I wrote:
Neither financial problems, nor breast cancer, nor death of my children, nor marriage problems, nor weariness, nor uselessness, nor chronic pain, nor loneliness, will separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What are your worst fears, my friend? List them, and then claim that not one of them will separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” We do not need to fear anythingthat may happen in our future because the love God has for us is perfect. Unfailing.
I pray that this year I will walk with confidence and courage, knowing that His love is all I need. “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25