Fading Lives, Everlasting Love

Our lives are transient and frail, but God's love is everlasting and faithful

'As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him...'

Psalm 103v13-17 (NIV)

The final words of the poem 'Invictus' are full of self confidence: 'I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.' Whatever we face, we like to think that we are in the control of our destinies. However reality tells a different story as the author of the Psalm reminds us: The life of mortals is like grass...the wind blows over it and it is gone.' All it take is an illness, a virus, a pandemic and we see just how fragile we are. In contrast is the love of God which is 'from everlasting to everlasting'. It is unbreakable and unending. The way to experience this love is to Fear God: 'the Lord has compassion on those who fear him'; 'the Lords love is with those who fear him.' To Fear God is not to run and hide but to Humbly know our place before him.

First we remember that our lives are temporary and mortal. 'he (God) knows how we are formed he remembers that we are dust.' We are weak and fragile, our lives our temporary. One day our life will end, our names a fading memory on a gravestone: 'it's place remembers it no-more.' Its a sobering thought. We do not control our destiny.

Second we remember that God's love is eternal and faithful. We are the created and he is our creator. Our lives depend on him. So we come in humble dependence not stubborn arrogance. We come to a faithful father 'who has compassion on his children'; and we run to a God whose love 'is from everlasting to everlasting.'

So come in humble dependence and rest in the eternal love of God.

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Prayer

Thank you Father God that you are the creator and sustainer of all life. Thank you that you rule our lives and control our destinies. Please help me to turn from my stubborn arrogance and to run in humble dependence, to the God whose love is from everlasting to everlasting.