Friends' Favorite - Promise Forever

He keeps every promise forever.

Psalm 146:6b NLT

I don’t know that I’ve ever read that sentence before in the New Living Translation. I thought I had, but if I did, I must have had blinders on. Talk about piercing my soul… 

Have you ever fully contemplated ‘forever’? Just forever by itself, nothing attached to it. I have a hard time envisioning it. When I was a little girl I fully believed in ‘Happily Ever After.’ That was my version of forever. I just knew someday my prince would come and rescue me and that’s how we would live…forever. I dreamed of it. Hoped for it. Prayed for it…

He keeps every promise forever.

Forever isn't about NOT making any promises just so we can say we never break them. That’s a falsehood.

He keeps every promise forever.

The Truth is that forever is much more than just never-ending time. Forever is commitment. Forever is trust, safety, provision. Forever is making promises AND keeping them. Why? Because God doesn’t just love us - He IS love.

And when the King of all kings comes for us, we will ride away with Him, and we’re going to live Happily Ever After.  Happily Ever After what? This. In John 16:33 (NLT), Jesus says, Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. He promised…

And He keeps every promise forever. Yes, He does…

Prayer:

Father,

We will give thanks to You, Lord, for You are good! According to Your Word, Your faithful love endures forever. You remember us in our weakness. Your faithful love endures forever. You saved us from our enemies. Your faithful love endures forever. You give food to every living thing. Your faithful love endures forever. We will give thanks to the God of heaven. Your faithful love endures forever. Help us to understand Your forever love. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

* True Love

The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.

And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:3-6 NLT

Ah, yes - Valentine's Day! A superior example of extraordinary marketing ability! Now, lest you think I'm a cynic, I want to hasten to assure you that I believe in love because I believe in God! And I wholeheartedly believe in till-death-do-us-part love. I've witnessed it too many times in life to not believe it. I just don't buy into the world's version of happily-ever-after.

Life is hard, folks. Sometimes, you're not happy, but love is not about the flitting, fleeting feelings. Love is a committed choice. God is love and He chose His love for us over what He originally wanted to do - which was kill us all for the miserable, idol-worshiping ingrates that we can be. How happy do you think Jesus was about being beaten beyond recognition and dying on a cross? He was not happy about that! Have you read about His time in the Garden of Gethsemane? It was not happy that put Jesus on the Cross. It was true love.

There is One who loves us enough to die for us. He's already done it. And someday, our Prince will come - AGAIN! As soon as He's done building our homes in glory and God, our Father says, 'Go get them.' Then we'll know true happily ever after.

Prayer:

Father,

I pray for the scales to be ripped off so people can see what true love is. Help us to know the vast difference between happy and true love. Open our eyes to the Truth of Your Word. Reveal Yourself in it as we read to know You more. To know You better. To learn of love at its finest. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen