Everlasting....

Read this today in The Perfect Love by Ruth Myers and just had to share! (Please Note: None of this is my original writing.. this is all quoted from Myers' book.)

"The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him" (Ps. 103:17 RSV).  From everlasting to everlasting. 

From everlasting, way back before I ever existed, God loved me.  Long before I was born He looked ahead and fastened His affection upon me. His love for me began in His foreknowledge of me. That means He didn't love me because I earned it, for when He decided to love me I did not yet even exist.  His love is not mine because I merit it, for He fastened His love upon me before I ever did one thing good or bad, before I merited anything.

Therefore in the midst of my failure and struggles when I feel so undeserving, I never have to think, Oh dear, does He still love me? He never started loving me in the first place because I deserve it. He just loves me. His love for each of us is never rooted in our worthiness, but rather in His own nature.

God is saying to us, "Its not because you earned it or worked so hard for it that I have loved you. I don't continue loving you because you manage to maintain a high enough standard in my eyes. No, I simply made a permanent choice to love you." 

That choice will never change. He loved me from everlasting and will love me to everlasting. His love for me -- and for you -- will never end.

God has always known all things.  Before we were born He already knew the worst about us and nothing that happens now can surprise or disillusion Him. He has never had any illusions about anyone or anything.  He doesn't suddenly discover some truth about one of us and think, "Oh, why did I ever choose to love him or her?"

To Know God's Love...

I love the book of Ephesians... and the prayer found in chapter 3 is one of my favorite Biblical prayers.  As I was reading The Perfect Love by Ruth Myers this morning I read that lovely prayer from The Living Bible (TLB). Remember The Living Bible? My mother had one. It was shaped like a hardback dictionary, but covered with a dark green padded leathery material on the outside.  She loved that Bible and read it daily.

TLB is a transliteration... like The Message. Both are fine to read, but should not be your main Bible.  Those who wrote these versions took the main thoughts in the Bible and put them down in common day language.  I love to compare verses in various Bibles and The Message is one I look at often, but again.. not as my main source. You need a solid translation and there are many to choose from.... my personal favorites are the New American Standard Bible and the English Standard Version. I read the New Internation Version also as it is what my church uses.

Back to this morning's reading... as I said, I love this prayer and I really love the way it reads in TLB.  I hope you like it too and will pray this for yourselves and others.

Eph. 3:17-21 TLB

"May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high His love really is, and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it.  And so at last you will be filled up with God Himself.  Now glory be to God who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of -- infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes."

God's Unfailing Love....

Leads us: In Your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. Ex. 15:13a

Saves us: Turn, O Lord, and deliver me, save me because of Your unfailing love. Ps. 6:4 Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love. Ps. 31:16

Keeps us from Being Shaken: For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. Ps. 21:7

And It cannot be Shaken: Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken not my covenant of peace be removed says the Lord who has compassion on you. Isa. 54:10

Surrounds Us: Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trust in Him. Ps. 32:10

Our hope is in it: The eyes of the lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love. Ps. 33:18 The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. Ps. 147:11

Rest upon Us: May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put out hope in You. Ps. 33:22

Is Priceless: How priceless is Your unfailing love. Ps. 36:7a

Redeems Us: Rise up and help us; redeem us because of Your unfailing love. Ps. 44:26

Is to be Meditated on: Within Your temple, O God, we meditate on Your unfailing love. Ps. 48:9

Brings Mercy: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love. Ps. 51:1

We trust in it: I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. Ps. 52:8

God Shows it to Us: Show us You unfailing love, O Lord, and grand us Your salvation. Ps. 85:7

Satisfies Us: Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Ps. 90:14

Give Thanks for It: Let them give thanks tot he Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Ps. 107:8, 15, 21, 31 (He repeats this 4 times in this Psalm... God is serious about our giving thanks for His unfailing love!)

Comes to Us: May Your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your promise. Ps. 119:41

Comforts Us: May Your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant. Ps. 119:76

Is with the Lord: Oh, Israel, put your hope in the Lord for with the Lord is unfailing love. Ps. 130:7

Silences our enemies, destroys our foes: In Your unfailing love, silence my enemies, destroy all my foes, for I am Your servant. Ps. 143:12

We desire it: What a man desires is unfailing love. Prov. 19:22

Is Great: Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love. Lam. 3:32

Bears Fruit: Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up you unplowed ground for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12