God’s Love is Like a Song, a Rhythm of Grace

God’s love is endless, flowing steadily to carry us to the ocean of eternity’s grace.

I think often of God’s love. Trying to understand its depth. Its why. Its how.

I think of the river flowing steadily, continuously, swirling around obstacles and carving its boulders into beautiful monuments of time and endurance. I think of its life-giving rhythm through the lives of people and I remember its endlessness, even as it yields its stream into the great ocean gulf that ebbs and flows forever.

Because that’s what God’s love does.

It flows steadily, endlessly carving our boulders of difficulty into beautiful monuments of time and endurance, all the while carrying us to the ocean of eternity’s grace.

He is in our midst, never leaving us, never forsaking us.

And the Baby we celebrate at Christmas? That Baby made it all possible, for He grew to be a man — God incarnate — to die a cruel death on Calvary’s cross just so we could know our Father and come before Him boldly wrapped in our robe of righteousness. How amazing is that?

God pursues us with His love. He is relentless. Passionate. Yet tender.

As I consider God’s love, I think of the night Jesus was born. Yes, it was a night filled with wonder, but I believe in the heavenly places, this was a night of great rejoicing. For lying upon the dusty straw in a feeding trough was the tangible expression of God’s love for us — His very Son. Jesus was God with skin on so that we could know and understand the Father’s love.

I believe excitement was in the air. The angels’ singing rippled across the night sky as stars twinkled their approval. I believe the Lord God Himself beamed with satisfaction and anticipation that, at last, His plan of salvation and redemption for all had been fulfilled.

Oh! What love is this that the Father would give His only Son that we might know Him and live with Him eternally? What love is this that the Father never gave up on His rebellious children who turned their backs on Him time after time, chasing other gods, other idols, demanding their own way.

He never gave up.

God’s love is like that. As His children, we are sealed in His covenant love — a covenant which can never be broken.

And like the river that courses across the mountain valleys or laps at the marsh along our coastal plains, God’s love is endless, swirling around our boulders of difficulty and carving out beautiful monuments of His faithfulness.

Sometimes I think I can hear the river’s song as it passes by.

I’m sure I’ve heard the Lord’s song as He passed me by — His song of love, His rhythm of grace swirling about and transforming my boulders of difficulty.

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing. ~ Zephaniah 3:17

SELAH