A Love That Lasts Forever

"For the mountains may depart
    and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
    and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you." (Isaiah 54:10)

This verse was part of our daily Bible reading this week. I read it a couple of times.

"... my steadfast love shall not depart from you ..."

People come and go in our lives. Someone moves away. Friends grow apart. Let's face it, sometimes people fight and choose to end a relationship.

We're often amazed when we hear of a couple celebrating a lengthy marriage. Fifty years. Seventy-five. Or maybe you know of someone who's been friends their whole lives. I'm friends on Facebook with the little blonde girl who was my best friend in first grade. That's been a year or two.

But no matter how long a marriage lasts, no matter how long you've been friends with that kid from first grade, a love that lasts forever is nearly beyond human comprehension. Especially--especially!--when you consider how unlovable we often are.

Imagine a mountain. Pick any mountain. Doesn't even have to be a mountain. It can be a really big hill. Now try to figure out how long it'll take for the wind and the rain to wear that mountain down into a plain. I can honestly say I've never seen that happen. Our yard has a distinct slope to it. Enough that one section could even be called a small hill. And no matter how much dirt ends up in our driveway every time it rains, that slope hasn't flattened out.

Now imagine a God who will always love you. No matter how long you live. No matter what you do. No matter the storms that come into your life. He will always love you. (Mind you, I'm not condoning a life of sin just because God loves you anyway. The Bible is very clear regarding punishment for sin.)

Not only does He love me, He has compassion on me. Merriam-Webster defines compassion as a "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it." God is always aware of my sufferings (those storms I mentioned). I am never alone.

How can I not love such a God? How can I not want to worship Him and give Him my all?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

• Look back on your life and consider the times you know you were unworthy of God's love. Write them down. Then throw the page away, because God loves you anyway.