God’s Everlasting Love
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.”
-Jeremiah 31:3
“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so”… but do we really believe it to the depth of our souls? When God doesn’t answer prayer in the time or way we had hoped and asked for, do we doubt God’s everlasting love? When we face impossible obstacles, do we struggle with believing God loves us at all?
I’ve been reading books by Father Gregory Boyle lately. He is a priest who served in Los Angeles with gangs for the past 40 years. Through their business, Homie Industries, they have created jobs and opportunities for gang members to leave that life behind and embrace a different kind of life. One of his reminders is that we are really great at judging ourselves and each other, but God doesn’t do that. Where we see “sin” God sees “son”. Just as the father in the parable of the prodigal son runs to meet his child, never addressing his sinfulness–only embracing, restoring and receiving him back to his rightful place in the family.
The prophet Jeremiah gives scalding judgment upon the people of God for their unfaithfulness throughout his writings. Surprisingly, in the middle of the book we read this verse, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3) This is God’s desire and intention for a relationship with us. This is also God’s desire and intention for our relationships with each other. Have we drawn one another with unfailing kindness or have we drawn the mental image of each other with an unkind and judgemental crayon? Let’s take another look at the people around us. When we choose to respect one another, it is an opportunity to re-examine, re-look, re-spect each other.
My prayer for us this week is that we look again at ourselves… the way God sees us – as beloved children received in grace. AND that we look again at other people the way God sees them… as beloved children, received in grace.
Father, Your grace has no measure and it was graciously extended to me the hour I first believed and started my spiritual race. You not only prepared the way but You also run alongside me and enable me to throw off those things that hinder or weigh me down. You’ve given me an enduring spirit to stay on course during the desirable and undesirable starts of new chapters in my life. It’s not the one who runs the swiftest, nor the one who runs for a day, but it’s the one who endures to the end that will be saved. I want to be among that number, and by Your grace, I will receive the eternal rewards that come to those who finish well. And then I start the next chapter that never has an ending; that of living in heaven and praising You for all eternity. I can hardly wait! Amen.
