Jesus, you have loved us—and still do, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love you have drawn us to yourself (Jer. 31:3). We know, believe, and rely on the love you have for us, Jesus (1Jn.4:16).
Dear Jesus, you loved us before the world began—before we showed any promise, or made promises we would inevitably break. You never looked to what we could do for you, but only at what you would do for us. Hallelujah, and thank you. Your life of perfect obedience, and your death of perfect surrender, are now counted as ours. We are legally, fully, and forever yours. You secured for us no condemnation for our sins and no separation from your love.
This is why we can count on your love being unwavering and unfailing. We can’t intensify nor diminish it—though our experience of your love certainly ebbs and flows. Why is that so, Jesus? You are faithful, but our emotions are as fickle and variable as the weather.
You never leave us, but we are prone to drift, wander, or run into seasons of unguarded and under-nourished hearts (Prov.4:23; Isa.55:1-3). This can lead to temporary Gospel-amnesia (Like the younger son, Lk.15:11-24), or the heart disease of legalism and self-righteousness (Like the older son Lk.15:25-32). Thank you for always pursuing us, Jesus, no matter the state and GPS of our hearts. Your love is the one constant in our lives.
You will cease to be God before your affection for us will wane or fail, be exhausted or withdrawn. You don’t love us to the degree we feel it, but we do want to feel your love, Jesus—to be smitten, undone, overwhelmed, and compelled by your incomparable affection (Eph.3:14-19). So Very Amen.
