“Everlasting” is a difficult concept. I read these words today in an Advent devotional, “Only God’s love and compassion lasts forever and comes from forever. And that’s good news!”
Even before he made the world, God loved us
Ephesians 1:4 NLT
and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
God’s redemptive plan began long before the infant Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Independent of human behavior or influence, God chose US for Himself, by Himself, because He loved us. From eternity past, we were chosen and loved!
Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
Jeremiah 31:3
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
Scripture tells us that our lives as mortal human beings are like the grass. We flourish like wildflowers – so common in our Texas landscape. But as we all know, wildflowers are here today and gone tomorrow. It’s as if they had never been here. BUT our God is a forever God! And his steadfast love is from everlasting to everlasting! His love is not dependent on seasons, on the weather – it is from eternity past to eternity future!
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
Psalm 103:17-18 ESV
But you might ask, what IF we break our promises, forget His commandments – is His steadfast love still from everlasting to everlasting?
- Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life (John 3:36a)
- I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:28)
- …being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)
There are many more assurances, these are just a few. If we are IN Christ now, eternity has begun, and it has NO end!
Our prayer today is borrowed from the Psalmist –
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Psalm 139:23-24 NLT
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
If you want to read more, click here to read about the eternal covenant!
You need to write a book!