Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.” When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. Psalm 118:1-7 (NIV)
Dear heavenly Father, in full view of the instability of world politics and the complexities of human relationships, the unpredictability of the world economy and the ever-pressing needs that stress us, this we can say without flinching or doubting, “Your love, Oh Lord, endures forever.”
The most certain, stable, dependable, and inexhaustible reality in our lives is your love, Abba Father. We could have never deserved it or earned it; and now we can never lose it or reduce it. You love all of your children as much as you love your only Son, Jesus; and there’s really nothing we can do about it but enjoy it and rely on it. Hallelujah, many times over!
In terms of quantity, we’re standing under the Niagara Falls of your affection, flowing out of the bottomless ocean of your grace. In terms of reliability, though it’s cliché, your love is much more predictable than death and taxes. In terms of quality, the love you have for us is the love, passion, and delight you have forever enjoyed with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In terms of endure-ability, you will cease to be God before you will stop loving your children.
Father, you give and you take away; you fill our lives with good things and you grace our lives with difficult things. You are nearer than our next breath, yet sometimes you seem very far away. We can always count on you, but we can never presume to manage you. And in all of it—in every last bit of the raptures and ruptures of life, your love endures forever; your love endures forever; your love endures forever. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ strong and loving name.
