The last few days we’ve spoken about how long God will love us, and I’ve reminded you that His love endures forever. Today it’s time to give thanks to God for loving us forever…
From the rising to the setting sun His love endures forever
Although we can always be assured of God’s love, we must not ever forget to say thank you to God for loving us. Say thank you to God, sing praises to God, for He love us and He will always love us.
Forever God is faithful Forever God is strong Forever God is with us Forever
I hope you enjoy the following song Forever by Chris Tomlin:
So God has promised to love us forever (see yesterday’s blog post Love Forever), but what does he want from us in turn? We find the answer in scripture:
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (The Message)
So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I’m commanding you today—live a good life.
God will love you forever, but we must each try to repay Him for all He does for us. Pray to God today and ask Him to direct your life and help you to do all He wants you to do in your life.
Live your life for God. Love God forever.
Michael W Smithsings Forever:
So now Israel, what do you think God expects from you? Just this: Live in his presence in holy reverence, follow the road he sets out for you, love him, serve God, your God, with everything you have in you, obey the commandments and regulations of God that I’m commanding you today—live a good life.
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
There is just one God. One God who will love you forever, and who loved all past generations of your family and indeed will love future generations as well.
Isn’t that incredible? Who else has promised to do that, but God?
Accept God into your life today. He has promised to love us forever.
I Could Sing of Your Love Forever performed here by Hillsong:
Your friendships will never reach their full potential unless God is part of it. What do I mean by this? Well we pray for our lives and the situations we find ourselves in, that God will help us to do the right thing in all we do – Our friendships are no different from that, we must pray for our friends and our friendship with them.
With God part of our friendships, our friendship can reach their full potential – that of course may mean some friendship may be short-term, while others will last forever through many highs and lows – but remember God knows what relationships/friendships are good for you and which aren’t, just trust God to help you find and keep “forever friends”.
Prayer For A Friend by Casting Crowns
Lord, I lift my friend to You, I’ve done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You
Complicated circumstances have clouded his view
Lord, I lift my friend up to You
I fear that I won’t have the words that he needs to hear
I pray for Your wisdom, oh God, and a heart that’s sincere
Lord, I lift my friend up to You
Lord, I lift my friend to You
My best friend in the world, I know he means much more to You
I want so much to help him, but this is something he has to do
And Lord, I lift my friend up to You
’cause there’s a way that seems so right to him
But You know where that leads
He’s becoming a puppet of the world, too blind to see the strings
Lord, I lift my friend up to You
My friend up to You
Lord, I lift my friend to You, I’ve done all that I know to do
I lift my friend to You
Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
Can’t believe the hopes He’s granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we’ll keep you close as always
It won’t even seem you’ve gone
‘Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord’s the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
‘Cause the welcome will not end
Though it’s hard to let you go
In the Father’s hands we know
That a lifetime’s not too long to live as friends.
With the faith and love God’s given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you’ll live in
Is the strength that now you show
But we’ll keep you close as always
It won’t even seem you’ve gone
‘Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord’s the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
‘Cause the welcome will not end
Though it’s hard to let you go
In the Father’s hands we know
That a lifetime’s not too long to live as friends.
I love this song by Michael W Smith it reminds us that our friends, although they may be important to us and we may think they will be our friends forever, will only remain true friends to us if God is part of our life and theirs. This sentiment is reflected in my favourite part of this song:
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord’s the Lord of them
Let God be part of your life and part of your friendships. He alone can help your friendship flourish and last forever.
(Adrian Plass, Dave Clifton, Ian Blythe, Phil Baggaley)
Soon your trials will be over,
Offered up by mercy’s hand;
Let Him heal you where you’re standing,
A doorway to another land
The sweetest welcome from the Father,
Gathered up and carried home,
We have come to this time of waiting,
Come let us bow before Your throne
We will meet in the golden city, in the new Jerusalem
All our pain and all our tears will be no more.
We will stand with the hosts of heaven and cry,
“Holy is the Lamb”,
We will worship and adore You evermore
Never can the powers of darkness,
Neither death nor even life
Let nothing ever separate us,
From the holy love of God
When we find something or someone we love, we never want to be separated from it/them. Our relationship with God should be no different, we must love God so much that we never want to be separated from Him.
Fortunately God promises us that if we love Him, we will never be separated from Him, ever!
Romans 8:38-39 (The Message) I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
Hebrews 6:11 (New Living Translation) Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order that to make certain that what you hope for will come true.
How do we keep on loving others as long as life lasts? It’s a daunting task and one which seems impossible to achieve when we are caught up with our own corners and problems. It’s difficult to find the emotional energy to “keep right on loving” at these times. It’s equally as hard when some of those we love don’t reciprocate or are unlovable.
Hebrews 6:10 (New Living Translation) For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown you love to him by caring other Christians, as you still do.
In the above verse from Hebrews, we find encouragement to keep on loving, when we’re informed that God does recognise how hard we have worked to try and love everyone, even if we haven’t succeeded.
But this still doesn’t make it any easier to love as long as life lasts. So how do we achieve this? We do so by faith and patience, in the knowledge that this is the best way to show God how much we love Him – God likes when we tell Him we love Him, but likes it even more when we show Him by loving other Christians.
Whenever we call a friend in trouble and take time to listen to their struggles, or we look after a child to give their single parent a break, or when we pay a bill for someone whose struggling to make ends meet, or when we invite people to our house to eat knowing their struggling to be able to afford a decent meal for the whole family, or when we visit those in hospital who have no family to care about them, we show God how much we love Him!
We can sometimes find that other Christians are the hardest people to love but God can love them through us so don’t give up trying to love them. The day we stop caring, loving and doing things for our brothers and sisters in Christ is the day we “become spiritually dull and indifferent” (Hebrews 6:12).
What do you do for other Christians? It’s not enough just to pray for them and say we love them. God sees our heart and watches our life. He knows what we’re doing and when he sees us love and care for His people, He will not forget to reward us!
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (New Living Translation) Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Well know words from scripture which I’m sure you’ve heard many times before. Just because you’ve heard them many times, do still actually consider what those words mean?
Love is stronger than anything else, it will endure through anything. Love will never desert you even when you feel unloved, as God will always love you. God’s love will last forever. God’s love for you will endure no matter what you may have done in your life – God’s love for you lasts forever.
Today I ask you to join me in thanking God for loving us unconditionally.
I Could Sing of Your Love Forever Written by Martin Smith
Over the mountains and the sea, Your river runs with love for me, and I will open up my heart and let the Healer set me free. I’m happy to be in the truth, and I will daily lift my hands: for I will always sing of when Your love came down. [Yeah!]
I could sing of Your love forever, I could sing of Your love forever, I could sing of Your love forever, I could sing of Your love forever. [Repeat]
Oh, I feel like dancing - it’s foolishness I know; but, when the world has seen the light, they will dance with joy, like we’re dancing now.
We all need (and want) good friends in our life. What a blessing and support they can be to us. There above song is a beautiful song by one of my favourite Christian singers, Michael W Smith, which is all about the love of our friends.
To me there is one phrase in this song which always jumps out at me “And friends are friends forever If the lords the lord of them” – In other words, your friends will be good friends to you forever when God is at the centre of your relationship.
Good friends are very hard to find so don’t take your friendships for granted, tell your friends regularly just how much they mean to you and how much you need them in your life.
Friends Words: deborah d. smith Music: michael w. smith
Packing up the dreams God planted In the fertile soil of you Cant believe the hopes hes granted Means a chapter in your life is through But well keep you close as always It wont even seem you’ve gone cause our hearts in big and small ways Will keep the love that keeps us strong
And friends are friends forever If the lords the lord of them And a friend will not say never cause the welcome will not end Though its hard to let you go In the fathers hands we know That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends.
With the faith and love gods given Springing from the hope we know We will pray the joy you’ll live in Is the strength that now you show
But well keep you close as always It wont even seem you’ve gone cause our hearts in big and small ways Will keep the love that keeps us strong
And friends are friends forever If the lords the lord of them And a friend will not say never cause the welcome will not end Though its hard to let you go In the fathers hands we know That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends.
