[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Monday, February 3, 2014

[Paul]

Hello folks on this Monday, the first one in February 2014.  I hope that you all are doing well today, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, no matter what time of day it is or even which day.

We've a rather short piece that appeared in the devotional booklet "Our Daily Bread," published by RBC Ministries of Grand Rapids MI.  It's on the topic of love, as I mentioned to you on Saturday.  The title of the relevant contribution, written by David McCasland is "Love We Can Trust," rendered as follows:

Perhaps the most painful statement a person can hear is, "I don't love you anymore." Those words end relationships, break hearts, and shatter dreams.  Often, people who have been betrayed guard themselves against future pain by deciding not to trust anyone's love again.  That settled conviction may even include the love of God.

The remarkable thing about God's love for us is His promise that it will never end.  The prophet Jeremiah experienced devastating circumstances that left him emotionally depleted.  (See Lamentations 3:13-20).  His own people rejected his repeated calls to respond to God's love and follow Him.  At a low point, Jeremiah said, "My strength and my hope have perished from the Lord." Yet, in his darkest hour, Jeremiah considered God's unfailing love and wrote, "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I hope in Him!" (Lam 3:22-24).  A person may vow to love us forever yet fail to keep that promise, but God's love remains steadfast and sure.  "He is the one who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you." (Deut. 31:6)  That's a love we can trust!

And there you have Brother David's short devotional, which I hope was a blessing to you today.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow we will continue with this theme of love in our next Daily Thought message.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul