“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures for ever.” (Psalms 106:1)
Four of the psalms begin with this same complete sentence: Psalms 106, 107, 118 and 136. But the phrase, “His love endures for ever,” is frequent, occurring over 40 times (only in the Old Testament). Just four words. And yet so rich. Human loves run their course: energy fades; enthusiasm wanes; promises break; commitments alter; good intentions drift. But this phrase defies that pattern. It speaks of love that does not diminish or tire or withdraw or change. It endures and carries on and holds steady.
We often think of love in terms of intensity of emotion – how strong it feels in the moment. This short phrase speaks of love in terms of persistence and presence. It is a statement that places God’s love outside the limits that define our love. Our love is often shaped by mood, by circumstance, or by reciprocity. It grows when it is noticed. It struggles when it is neglected. It can falter under strain.
His does not. His love remains when we are distracted, holds on when we are inconsistent, continues when we would have given up.
This is not indulgent or careless love. It is a committed love. A covenant love. The kind that stays engaged – not because it is easy, but because it is steadfast.
And this matters more than we might first realise because there will be days when faith feels thin and prayers feel empty. On those days, we may be tempted to measure God’s love by our ability to feel it. But God’s love is not measured by our awareness of it, but by His consistent faithfulness in giving it: for ever. His love endures forever. Before we’ve even noticed it. While we doubt it or question it. Long after we forget it, His love endures. And perhaps today – knowing that – is enough: not to fully understand it, not to feel it perfectly, but simply to stand within it – a love that is already there, already steady, already enduring. Holding us secure.