This morning we looked at the verse ‘May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.’ (Ps 119:76) The subject of God’s unfailing love is one of those foundational truths which enable us to live securely, strengthened and supported by God Himself. However, like so many other things, we must move from a theoretical knowledge only to practical application of these truths if we are to live according to God’s ways (akin to learning our times tables by heart but never knowing how to apply this knowledge to real life, so often our heads accept knowledge of God, but our lives don’t reflect these truths in daily living!)
The first thing we have to accept about God’s love is that it is not based in emotion, but rooted in the very essence of God (since God is love, 1 John 4:8, 16). God is never whimsical, cruel, fickle or capricious in HIs love, but neither is His love ‘soft’; His love will challenge us whenever we are wrong, since our highest good is His concern. If love never fails, however (1 Cor 13:8), then we can look forward to certain things if we are comforted by God’s unfailing love:
1. We can be unshaken (see Heb 12:28, Ps 21:7, Is 54:10) We can be like Weebles; we may wobble, but we won’t fall down – and if we fall, we will arise! (Micah 7:8)
2. We can be forgiven (God’s mercy to us is because of His unfailing love, as David prayed in Ps 51:1-2)
3. We can be satisfied (not needing material satisfaction, but finding satisfaction for our souls in God – Ps 90:14)
4. We can have joy (Ps 21:7, Ps 13:5). Jesus promised to give us His own joy (John 15:9-11)
5. We can flourish like the olive tree (Ps 52:8). The olive tree is an emblem of prosperity and beauty and religious privilege in the Bible. Jeremiah likens Israel to a ‘thriving olive tree with fruit beautiful in form’ (Jer 11:16); Hosea speaks of the ‘splendour’ of the olive tree. (Hosea 14:6) We can flourish in God not because of our efforts or talents, not because of our own goodness or righteousness, but because we are loved by God.
6. We can be supported (Ps 94:18)
7. We can be saved (Ps 109:26)
All these benefits can be ours because of God’s unfailing love.