Christmas is fast approaching. Shopping, baking, preparing
for the festivities, all can drain one of Joy.
Though Joy
can elude us, Love too, can be hard to muster. I wish I could tell you that I perfectly
love everyone, every day, and that all the chores and to-do lists are delivered
with Love; and with lots of sugar on top! I wish I could tell you that I don’t
snap at my husband or children, or mother; or the clerk at the store. The true
mark of a disciple is that we love one another {see Jn.
13:35}. I was tempted to perform a word search on how many times love is
found in the Bible; how many times we are commanded to love one another. I
thought better of it, as I did not want to beat myself over the head further. Thank
you, Jesus, for Your Grace.
The truth is, that I fail miserably at loving perfectly. I don’t
love my family as I should; I don’t love God as I should. Jesus Christ, have
mercy on me. We all fail at loving in the fullness of Christ, and others
fail us—miserably. The biggest travesty is how much we all fail God in loving
Him as we should. But God’s Love never fails. God’s Love
was demonstrated in that He sent His only Son {Rom. 5:8}, the pre-existent Second Person
of the Trinity, fully God and fully man, clothed in flesh like us, to seek and
save the lost {Lk. 19:10}.
It doesn’t matter how much our love fails or falls short, His Love never
changes. His Love never fails. I found over thirty verses {there are more I
didn’t list} where Scripture drips like honey with His Unfailing Love. Be
encouraged. As we seek hard after Him, as we koinonia with Him, and abide
in Him, He will fill us with His Love to pour out on the world. That is how we
find Joy,
that is how we find Love, in His presence is fullness of Joy {Ps.
16:11}, in His presence we find all that we need.
In your unfailing love you will lead the
people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy
dwelling {Exodus 15:13}.
Turn, Lord,
and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love {Ps. 6:4}.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart
rejoices in your salvation {Ps. 13:5}.
He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing love to
his anointed, to David and to his descendants forever {Ps. 18:50}.
For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most
High he will not be shaken {Ps. 21:7}.
For I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and
have lived in reliance on your faithfulness {Ps. 26:3}.
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love {Ps. 31:16}.
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds
the one who trusts in him {Ps. 32:10}.
The Lord loves
righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love {Ps. 33:5}.
But the eyes of the Lord are
on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love {Ps. 33:18}.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you {Ps. 33:22}.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People
take refuge in the shadow of your wings {Ps. 36:7}.
Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love {Ps. 44:26}.
Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love {Ps. 48:9}.
{For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the
prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba} Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions {Ps. 51:1}.
But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever {Ps. 52:8}.
Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation {Ps. 85:7}.
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days {Ps. 90:14}.
When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me {Ps. 94:18}.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his
wonderful deeds for mankind {Ps. 107:8}.
Help me, Lord my
God; save me according to your unfailing love {Ps. 109:26}.
May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your
promise {Ps.119:41}.
May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant {Ps. 119:76}.
In your unfailing love preserve my life, that
I may obey the statutes of your mouth {Ps. 119:88}.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and
with Him is full redemption {Ps. 130:7}.
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your
name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have
so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame {Ps. 138:2}.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I
entrust my life {Ps. 143:8}.
In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy
all my foes, for I am your servant {Ps. 143:12}.
The Lord delights
in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love {Ps. 147:11}.
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet
my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace
be removed,” says the Lord,
who has compassion on you {Is. 54:10}.
The Lord appeared
to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness {Jer. 31:3}.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is
his unfailing love {Lam. 3:32}.
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