Listen

The one who enters in the Lord’s name is blessed; we bless all of you from the Lord’s house. The Lord is God! He has shined a light on us! So lead the festival offering with ropes all the way to the horns of the altar. You are my God— I will give thanks to you! You are my God— I will lift you up high! Give thanks to the Lord because he is good, because his faithful love lasts forever.

Psalm 118:26-29

Think

God is “forever love” and so much more. God is present, attentive, and engaged in every detail of our lives. As the psalmist writes, God’s “faithful love lasts forever.” Some translations say “steadfast love” – which means unwavering and sure.

When I consider that word, steadfast, I think of cost – the cost of truly loving someone. When I was a young man, in high school and college, I made some bad decisions. These decisions affected me and my family. My reckless behavior hurt my parents. Yet, despite my misdeeds, they still loved me dearly.

Sadly, we don’t all have parents like that, but we do all have a Perfect Parent in heaven who loves us that way. “Forever love” is God’s nature, and beyond that, God’s love is steadfast, enduring all of our mistakes. Having lived that truth, I can join with the psalmist to honor our amazing God by saying, “You are my God— I will give thanks to you! You are my God— I will lift you up high!”

Wade Griffith

Pray

God, thank you for what you do, but more importantly, thank you for who you are. Thank you for loving me so extravagantly. Help me to learn to love like you love. Amen.

Go

Maybe true praise is less in the singing and more in the doing.

Does God want another song to rise from your lips, or would God prefer an act of costly obedience to come from your hands, feet, or mouth?

Forget the palm branches today and instead commit to giving God the palms of your hands!