Romans 5:8

Do you know the everlasting, always flowing love of the Father? Before we knew the love of the Father in and through the Son, our thoughts of God may have been filled with fear, uncertainty, and disquiet. Now seeing the Father’s love in the Son, we know the heart of the Father, the endless beating of his heart for the sinner.

The ever-flowing love of the Father, like a river, flows to the lowest point. It gives us life. Like the heart supplies blood to every part of the body, God’s love gives life to our otherwise self-loathing, despairing, prideful or egotistic self, our living but not really living self. Like a river it flows down to the lowest point, because while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The Bible, spoken out by God himself through the pens of his servants, assures us of this rock-solid proclamation of truth. The Apostle Paul, for instance, wrote down for us and human perpetuity, “…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 ESV) You can take those words to the grave with you, because, though flowers may fade, God’s Word endures forever (Isaiah 40:8).

Let these words encourage you. Sometimes in our lives when we get busy and are not regularly participating in a public service of worship or reading God’s Word regularly we might doubt or forget this. Satan uses our isolation from his people and his Word to try to trick us, through feelings of failure or despair, that we have fallen under God’s wrath again. At times like that, we need his reassuring Word and the encouragement of the gospel cultivated community of faith to remind us that once and forever our Father’s love for us was demonstrated once and forever in Christ’s death for sinners. We need not doubt anymore.     

Feelings come and go, but his love never dies. Though the light in the soul of God’s own sometimes flickers, he will never put it out. Though the rose bush might be trampled upon by temptations, he will not tear it up and throw it in the burn pile. He will fan aflame the flickering light. He will carefully prune the bruised bush to bring it back to flourishing life by his love.

Be reminded today of the life, strength, and beauty you have received but could never earn, that while you were a sinner God shows his love in this.