August 31, 2007

Love Never Fails

What are the traits you most admire? Faithfulness, conviction, strength mixed with compassion, selflessness, passion. Those were traits that described my father.

When I was sixteen, my boyfriend broke up with me and I was devastated. I felt as if I'd lost everything in my little world and the tears wouldn't stop. My mother tried to console me telling me I was too young to be with one boy - there would be other boyfriends. But my father groaned with me. He felt my pain in a personal way and longed to fill that void. He called me from work and invited me out to dinner. He took me to a fancy restaurant all by myself. He assured me I was beautiful and cherished and loved. And though my heartache continued for a little while, I've never forgotten the assurance of my father's love for me.

How much more does our heavenly father love us. No matter what trial, what great loss, what suffering - He is always there for us -He goes before us and walks beside us. He feels our pain personally and longs to fill the void it leaves.Joshua 1:5b says "I will not fail you or forsake you". The word for "will not" in the original text is emphatic - it means never never ever ever. What a beautiful picture of our Father's great love for us.He will never never ever ever fail or forsake us! Assuredly not!