The Long-Lasting Love of God

God’s love has no limits. Jeremiah spoke this of God: “… I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you” (Jeremiah 31:3).

In Psalm 136, the phrase “His steadfast love endures forever” appears 26x in 26 verses.  Clearly, the theme of Psalm 136 is the enduring love of our God.

What is it about God that has consumed this psalmist?

His love. To understand God’s love, you must understand God’s wrath against sin. If you don’t understand the utter wickedness of your heart apart from Christ and your inability to do anything about it, you will never really grasp God’s love. And when you tell others “God loves you” they will have no idea the depth of the meaning of that phrase until they understand their sin. God loves us sinners.

What kind of love is this? It is enduring love. God is loyal with His love. God covenants with us to love us. It is that love that God promises to demonstrate to His people that cannot be revoked. David Dickson, who is one of Charles Spurgeon’s favorite commentators, says, “When applied to God, it speaks of a divine commitment and loving concern which remain unchanging in the face of all human frailty and fickleness.” No fickle or unloving person can change or impact God’s love.

What will this love do? It will endure. God’s love doesn’t run out; it lasts. The word means more than “enduring through difficulty” or “something excruciating;” it means simply “to continue to perform or to behave.”

For how long will this love last? Forever. You know what “forever” means? It means “forever” or “eternal.” It means there is no end! This “steadfast love” of God was in eternity past before anything was created and we will experience His love forever in heaven! God’s love never changes or is exhausted even though there seems to always be an end to our love.