When the wrong kind of excitement fills your summer

When the wrong kind of excitement fills your summer

All the wrong kinds of excitement filled our July.

A child in distress. A young woman with a life-altering diagnosis. A virus spun out of control with the power to steal life. July brought everything into question.

But not the sovereignty of God or the certainty of His love.

Steadfast

Did you know the words “steadfast love” are found 191 times in the Hebrew Bible and 123 of those times occurs in Psalms?[i]

Jason Soroski, writer and worship leader, writes about steadfast love.

“Steadfast love is a unique covenant love that only God can give. It is a love that never changes, never fails. Always promised, always true… God not only practices steadfast love, but God IS steadfast love… It is a covenant promise that is only valid because it is a promise based on God’s character and faithfulness to keep His promises.”[ii] ~ Soroski

This is the love that we clung to throughout July.

Slide1

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43: 1b-3a

When tragedy strikes, it can feel like your drowning in fear and grief. When the illness flares the waters can feel overwhelming. When the virus is winning, the fire burns.

God never said there wouldn’t be trials. The waters will be deep. The river will swell, and we will walk through trials, BUT the children of the Lord will not be burned or consumed. Why? Because even if what you experience is more than you can handle, it is never more than God can handle. God’s steadfast love sustains you.

Great is His Faithfulness!

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His love does not stop when tragedy strikes. His mercies don’t end when the diagnosis is grim. They are new every morning, including the mornings when the waters swell, the fire burns, and the pain is deep.

Great is His faithfulness. (Lam 3:22-23)

 

 

***

[i] http://psalmreflections.blogspot.ca/2009/11/steadfast-love-of-lord.html
[ii] http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/jason-soroski/what-is-steadfast-love.html