The following is one of a series of short devotionals based on my book, “God’s Love For You.”
God accepts you and loves you without condition. He cares about every detail of your life.
“..unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.” (Psalm 32:10)
Loneliness is said to be one of the biggest diseases of our time, perhaps especially during the Covid pandemic but before the outbreak also. We are more connected than ever, and yet more isolated (pandemic aside!) Communicating with others has never been easier, yet some people struggle with conversation and communication with those who are right in front of them. How many times have you observed people in a social setting, totally engrossed in their phone instead of tuned in to what is going on around them or the company they are with? Aside from phones, there are TV’s, gaming, music, work and many other distractions that can keep us from others or keep others from spending quality time with us. Some people are lonely in relationships for a myriad of reasons. Friendships fail, marriages grow cold and families stop talking.
People might leave, ignore or reject us, but God has promised never to do that. His love surrounds us always. We may not always feel his love, but that doesn’t mean it is absent. God accepts us and loves us without condition. He cares about every detail of our life. The Bible says that he takes great delight in us and rejoices over us with singing!
“ The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)
What a beautiful image! Just as a parent sings over his or her baby, both comforting and reassuring him of their presence and as an expression of love for him, so God sings over us. Sometimes babies are unaware of the parental presence and cry out, only to learn that their loving parent was not far away and that they were not alone, but simply unable to see the parent. We too sometimes feel unaware of God’s presence, just as the words of Jared Anderson’s song, “Amazed” convey,
“You dance over me
While I am unaware
You sing all around
But I never hear the sound
Lord I’m amazed by You…how You love me…” (2003 Vertical Worship Songs)
In a recent devotional, author Max Lucado wrote the following,
“God surrounds us like the Pacific surrounds an ocean floor pebble. He is everywhere: above, below, on all sides….Lay claim to the nearness of God. He says in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Grip this promise like the parachute it is. Repeat it over and over until it trumps the voices of fear. The Lord God is with you, and He is mighty to save. Cling to His character. Quarry from your Bible a list of deep qualities of God and press them into your heart. He is sovereign…” (Upwords, the teaching ministry of Max Lucado, www.maxlucado.com May 14, 2020)
Pressing the truth of God’s love into our hearts is so important. Soaking our mind in the truth of his word and meditating on it will grow our faith so that our feelings will follow.
God’s love for you is unfailing and will not let you down. His love is reliable and steadfast throughout all of eternity, for he has said,
“…be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:2)
Why not take a favourite verse, or one from this devotional and meditate on it today and through the week?
Prayer: Lord, thank you that your love surrounds us always. I long to hear the song that you sing over me and to feel the nearness of your presence, especially during lonely or anxious moments. May it be so Lord, in Jesus Name, Amen
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