God’s Unfailing Love
The primary message of Scripture is that God loves us. Deeply. Extravagantly.
Another key message is that we, in responding to God’s love, are being transformed into the image of Christ—becoming increasingly loving. Many verses echo the sentiment that the world will be most attracted to our love—for God, for one another, for others. This is a key part of our purpose and calling.
We also know that, this side of heaven, God’s “kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven” is not complete. We fail at loving even those closest to us—those we say we love the most. We strive to be unconditionally loving but, even in our best moments, we fail to love unreservedly.
The phrase “unfailing love” is used thirty-nine times in the Bible (New International Version). Only two of these verses are not directly referring to God—one of those says that the thing we as humans most desire is unfailing love, the implication being that it doesn’t exist human-to-human. The other says that “Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6).
So, it’s safe to say that ALL the references of “unfailing love” in Scripture that are attributed to a person are speaking of God alone. God, Father-Son-Holy Spirit, is the only one capable of loving you and me with love that never fails. Love that always endures. Love that is unceasing. Love that knows no bounds.
Just a sampling of these thirty-nine verses tells us that God’s unfailing love...
...leads us, redeems us, gives us strength, delivers us, saves us, causes us to rejoice, enables us to not be shaken, is connected to His righteousness and justice, watches over us, is a source of hope for us, is priceless, provides refuge, rescues us, is something upon which we can meditate, derives from God’s mercy and compassion, is something we can trust in, can be shown to us by God, satisfies us, supports us when we are “slipping,” causes us to be thankful, is the source of God’s help, comes to us, comforts us, preserves us, is intertwined with God’s complete faithfulness, is great, and produces fruit.
May you desire and know God’s UNFAILING LOVE for you...as you lean into the power of His Holy Spirt to enable you to be more and more loving to those with whom you come in contact.
Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and leaders in a diversity of fields for over 30 years. She has also been Equipping Ministries Director at her 1,200 member church since 1999.
Photo (c) Shirley Giles Davis, all rights reserved.