Abounding in Steadfast Love

The Lord is gracious

and merciful

Slow to Anger

and abounding in steadfast love

Psalm 145:8

During the month of October we have been looking at each of these attributes of God.  We come now to the last of these: God abounding in steadfast love. 

Abounding = overflowing, generous

Steadfast = firmly fixed in place, not subject to change, consistent

Love = cannot exist outside of relationship.  God’s love exists because He has an object of His love :- us!

Steadfast love = loyal, committed, faithful.  Loved forever, over and over again!

 

“I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”  (Jer. 31:3)

God’s love is not dependent upon us.  He loves us because He loves us.  Deeply, faithfully, committedly He loves us. He loves us with an everlasting love which never gives up on us,  which seeks us out, which pursues us.

Because He  is faithful, He keeps on loving us over and over again.  Because He loves us He restores us when we break relationship with Him, He heals our souls of hurts and pain, He binds up our wounds, He forgives when we sin, He brings peace to our troubled souls, He gives serenity in the midst of our chaos, He showers us with good things.

The Psalmist in Psalm 136 recounts all the ways God has dealt with them and declares that God’s steadfast love endures forever after each and every remembrance.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭136:1-4‬ ‭ESV.

 

The Psalm gives a good pattern to follow – Glorify God for who he is, see His awesome hand in creation, recount the past times God has been with you, see how He has rescued you, see and praise Him for His steadfast love which has steadily, faithfully been shown, recount God’s abundant goodness to you.

It is not just this Psalm, but in all our personal lives we can recognise that God is above all gods, we can see Him in creation, we can see Him in rescuing us, we can see Him in our own personal stories and declare that His steadfast love endures forever.

So in my own life I can look back and say His steadfast love endures forever.  

 

He has forgiven my sin, His steadfast love endures forever.

He has made me His child, His steadfast love endures forever.

He has been my strength in troubled times, His love steadfast endures forever.

He has blessed me with good things, His love steadfast endures forever.

He has loved me with an everlasting, committed love, His love steadfast endures forever

He is my peace, His steadfast love endures forever.

He is my hope, His steadfast love endures forever.

 

In what areas in your own life can you say His love steadfast endures forever?  In what areas have you seen His faithful, committed love shown to you?