God's Unfailing Love

My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. (Lamentations 3:20-25, ESV). For some it may be difficult to look back and be very hopeful about the future. The past year may have held some of the most difficult and trying days of your life. These experiences may be making it hard to see the unfailing love of God in your life. There are many examples that come to mind from Scripture that reaffirm the unfailing love of God, some stemming from defeat and others from victory. One concerns a woman, Mary of Bethany, who knew Jesus well and loved Him dearly. Once, when Jesus was visiting her home, she sat before Him and anointed His feet with very costly oil. The disciples looked down upon Mary for being so extravagant to waste such a precious resource on Jesus' feet, a resource that could be spent elsewhere. But Jesus defended Mary in front of everyone present. In fact, in Matthew's account of the same story, Jesus is recounted as saying, "She has done a good work for Me…wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her" (Matthew 26:10,13). Jesus took the disapproving opinions of others and turned them into praise, giving Mary a fresh start. There are others. Take David as an example. When the prophet came to him and accused him of his sin of murder and adultery, it would have been easy to deny or deflect it as is so often the case with leadership today. However, David knew the truth of his sin and confessed, asking God for forgiveness. He was given a new start. God answered his prayer and created in him a clean heart. So, whether you are in a season of defeat or triumph, go to Jesus, the giver of mercy and new beginnings. Praise Him for His forgiveness of all your shortcomings. Thank Him for His empowerment in all your victories. There is nothing to dread or fear in the future, for we serve the same gracious Jesus who gave hope to the worthless and praise to the criticized. Take possession of the expectancy that God will use everything in your past for His glory and your good. May the grace of our merciful God bathe you in His glory!