"His Steadfast Love Endures Forever"
Yesterday I released a song that is very special to me, titled "Steadfast Love", and I would be thrilled and honored if you decide to go download it. (It's only .99¢, so you can afford it!)
The song was inspired a while back when my wife noticed that the phrase is used throughout the Bible, and seems to hold special meaning. Intrigued, I did what I do: researched it and wrote about it.
Psalm 136 specifically uses the phrase A LOT! It is a long list of God's attributes, and gives thanks for the fact that His steadfast love endures forever. But what does it mean for love to be 'steadfast'?
The Hebrew word the ESV translates as 'steadfast love' is checed, and is also translated as 'love', 'faithful love', 'lovingkindness ', 'gracious love' or even 'mercy' in other translations. The word is hard to define because it a deeper kind of love. It is a unique covenant love that only God can give.
A love that never changes, never fails. Always promised, always true.
A love, a mercy, a compassion that we can trust in regardless of what our circumstances may be.
The idea behind the word is that God not only practices steadfast love, but God IS steadfast love. He loves us in this way not because He is required to, or because He just wants to, but it is out of an obligation to His own promise to do so no matter what. The kind of love that led Him to the cross on our behalf, and the kind of love that remains faithful to us today. It is a covenant promise that is only valid because it is a promise based on His own character and faithfulness to keep His promises.
The word appears in many places throughout the Bible, and it is a strong enduring promise we can grasp tightly to no matter what is going on around us. His love is eternal, His faithfulness is great, and His mercies are new every morning. Whether we find ourselves on the mountain top or in the valley, His love is unchanging, and ever present.