“The Lord will fulfil His purpose for me; Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.” – Psalm 138:8

WHEN GOD ASSURES us in a particular situation, our spirit soars with impenetrable confidence, but then the next day our spirit may sink at the prospect of some other predicament that foresees no solution and we begin to wonder as to whether God has altered His stance with us. It is we that have changed, for as fickle as circumstances may be, so sometimes our hearts lay victim to their current. But God never changes His covenantal love toward us; we are never out of His care, no matter what life may throw at us, for underneath us are always His everlasting loving arms, however far we may feel ourselves descending into despair.

Notice that with Psalm 136, each verse ends with, “for His steadfast love endures forever.” It covers every domain of life. It is the very reason as to how and why we persevere in the faith, the very fulfilment of the Lord’s High Priestly prayer that we are preserved; we live and are kept because of His steadfast love. Our love for Him is not always steadfast; it wanes and waxes cold, but His love for us endures forever. Because He first loved us, we now love Him, and we will continue loving Him only because He will continue loving us. How often we have strayed, but His everlasting mercy has brought us back safe to His side; His everlasting love restores our soul. This is not grace that winks at sin, but rather grace that intensifies our desire to conform to Christ’s image.

Like a locomotive, we have heard it said that for the Christian it is first fact, second faith and then feeling and it is always to be in this order – the fact of God’s truth, our faith in His promises and then feelings follow. In many instances, we would prefer to put feeling or sight before faith. Feelings come and go; they are never to be relied on as the rock and stability of our faith. The world is expert in relying on its own intuition and feelings only to be misled, but for the believer, God tuitions us and promotes our growth in the certainty and conviction of realities not seen (Hebrews 11:1); that is the security that God has us stand upon – “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I – all my ways of understanding and commonsense” (Psalm 61:2).

Despite the onset of discouragement and hindrances that bring you to a halt, God will still fulfil His purpose for you; no plan of His shall be thwarted because His steadfast love endures forever. When we lose the sense of no grounding under our feet and the depths are overwhelming, we still have a sure and eternal standing, unseen and oftentimes unfelt but it is still there – that is God Himself. Sometimes the prolonged, dull grey clouds, with its wintry blasts, accustom us into believing there is no blue sky above; such clouds of mishaps in our lives may have us question God’s love for us: “Did God really say that or was it just mere coincidence or my own subtle impressions?” The ‘sky-blue’ truth is that nothing shall separate or cloud us from the immovable love of God:

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He Who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God Who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the One Who died – more than that, Who was raised – Who is at the right hand of God, Who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-39).

Our past is covered with Christ’s blood and righteousness; our present is overseen and governed by God; our future glory is guaranteed and secured by God Who cannot lie or go back on His word.