God's Enduring Love

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
(1 Chronicles 16:34)

Meditation

Since this is the time of year reminding us to be thankful, I’d like to tell you why I’m thankful. First of all, the God of heaven and earth loves me in ways I can never understand or fully reciprocate. He loves me so much, he gave us his Son to die on the cross, paying the price for our sins. All I had to do was realize was that everything Christians had been telling me for years about him was totally true. He forgives my every sin when I humble myself in repentance. I don’t have to do or say anything else to receive his forgiveness, because the work has already been done on the cross. I can never say or do anything to make me worthy of his love and provision. I’m so thankful for my God.
The second thing on my thank you list is, my loving and beautiful wife. When I was at a very low point in my life, I asked the Lord to put a godly woman in my life. It didn’t happen right after I said that prayer. In fact, it took four more years and a couple of hiccups before we met. Add to that, to show me he knew what he was doing, God arranged for us to meet at my baptism. I cannot thank him enough for the woman who stands shoulder to shoulder with me in our walk through this life. We’re both retired, so we spend a lot of time together. You’d think that when she was a way, I would enjoy my time alone. Not so! I miss her when she’s gone and rejoice when she returns. I’m so thankful for my wife.
The third, but certainly not the final thing I’m thankful for is my family. Parents, siblings, children, and now grandchildren are what make this life bearable for me. My dad has passed but my mom is still alive and is a joy to be with. I have five siblings, all married with children. We are all very close and love each other. I have six children, four by birth and two by marriage. They and their spouses give me so much to be thankful for. I’m slowly getting more and more grandchildren. We are currently at nine, both natural and blended. I can’t imagine going through this time of year without my family. I know some people aren’t as fortunate as I am when it comes to family, and I’m truly sorry for them. I know our Father in heaven loves them more than any human family can, and he will forever.





Prayer Time

Father God, when we consider your magnificence, we can appreciate how small and insignificant we are. Yet, you still love us in ways we don’t fully comprehend. How can we possibly thank you enough for what you’ve done for us? Not only do you give us life for starters but, knowing we’d need a Savior from the foundations of time, you give us Jesus. That would have been enough for the average god, but you are anything but average. You give us a Comforter to dwell in our hearts and guides us through every day of our walk. He nudges our consciences when we backslide until we repent. Thank you for all the people you’ve put in our lives. We know the earthly relationships you’ve given us will sometimes test us, but on the whole, they brighten our days and make painful experiences more bearable. Help us to always be forgiving in those times when they let us down and help us to seek forgiveness when we hurt them. We thank you for your love for us that is unending and unconditional. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!

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