Enduring Love

"The LORD says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

I will advise you and watch over you.' …

Many sorrows come to the wicked,

but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD.

So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey him!

Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!"

Psalm 32:8, 10–11

Don't you love it when God says exactly what you need to hear when you need to hear it?  The passage above was my morning devotion.  It's timing is incredibly perfect.  You see, my Grandmother passed away yesterday - on Christmas Day.  She passed away in church, worshipping her Loving Creator, in a place she loved to be, with people she loved and who loved her.  It's comforting to know that she went to be with the Lord in such a sweet way.  It's comforting to know that God's love for her was enduring and her love for Him lasted her whole life...to the very end.  Though she experienced some very tough, harsh times in her life, her faith and love never waivered.  She always trusted in God. He was her source of joy and strength. If only I could live for Him as faithfully as she did.  What a legacy of faith to leave your loved ones with.

Yes, Nana had an enduring faith.  My morning devotion was not only timely, but adeptly described the faith that Nana lived out.  When we rejoice in Him, when we obey Him, and when we have hearts that are pure (are in Christ) - He promises to guide us along the best pathway of our lives.

Though the wicked are guaranteed to experience sorrows, His unfailing love SURROUNDS those who TRUST in Him!  And though God guides us along the best pathway of our lives, this passage does not say we are immune to sorrows along the way.  However, when we do encounter sorrows, we have God's promise that He will be there, surrounding us with His ever faithful love.  God's love will help us endure those sorrows.  And sometimes, it is by enduring sorrows that our faith grows the most. So, in the end, we come out better and stronger with a faith built to last.  

So when we encounter sorrows in this life, we are not without hope - we can count on His enduring love to get us through.  We can choose to experience His gracious love today...it simply requires us to turn away from our sin, turn to Christ, and let Him be in charge of our hearts.

Peace and blessings!

In His Love,

Cathy

This post is dedicated to my Grandmother, Mildred Goodson Rudd.  Nana, you are loved and will be dearly missed.