Wait! Before you start thinking the 60’s, hippies, and peace signs, let me clarify. I am declaring now – the summer of 2014 – to be the summer of love. The summer of God’s love to be exact.
You are invited to join me for the next 8 Thursdays as we dig deep into the unfathomable depths of the love of God. Each week we will consider a facet of God’s love through the lens of one of David’s psalms. We will see how we can apply His loving truth to our own lives. And I will share a worship or praise song to help us take a few moments to simply bask in God’s love for us.
We can know God is loving because He says so. In Exodus, He proclaimed His character and boundless love to Moses:
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:6, NIV
Four centuries later, David experienced God’s love again and again and testified to its unfailing nature in numerous hymns of faith. For instance:
For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:4-6
In both Exodus 34 and Psalm 33, the Hebrew word translated as “love” is hesed. Hesed is a divine characteristic that combines elements of mercy, grace, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, and forgiveness. Throughout the Old Testament, hesed is variously translated as mercy, kindness, loving-kindness, goodness, love, and my favorite – unfailing love. The NIV often translates hesed as “love” or “unfailing love.”
Hesed is based on God’s character and not our worthiness. His love is freely given. It is not conditional on our behavior (Romans 5:8), but we experience it most fully through right relationship with Him. Although we will never completely grasp it, it will be glorious to try!
Will you join me as we explore the depths of God’s love for the next 8 weeks? When was the last time you tangibly felt His love?
Take a few moments to do so now! Listen and worship Him!
Thanks, Kathy.
Yes, ‘(c)hesed’ – that brought back many memories of seminary and Dr Peacock’s Old Testament classes! I chose hesed for my word study one year, and my view of God’s unfailing love has never been the same. Here’s to a Summer of Love!
EMP
Hi Elaine! Thanks for coming by. Please add your thoughts here about the meaning of hesed for us! Would love to hear!
Kathy, funny you should ask – I was just thinking how long ago the year 2000 seemed, and how much my recent brain injury may have affected my ability to remember details from my seminary studies. I had an immediate ‘Yes!’ reaction to your post, and then … a blank space where the hesed info used to reside snugly. (To think I wrote pages and PAGES – with Hebrew references! You remember: you were there.)
But the most important thought remains like light illuminating the shadows of my everyday life: God is the One who enters into covenant with us – with Abraham, with Noah, with David and others. He is the One who never lets go even when His children do unspeakable things that break His heart. He is our Kinsman and our Redeemer, the One who showed Ruth unfailing love through the actions of Boaz (the word hesed is used in the book of Ruth).
In the Person of Jesus, God IS our Kinsman-Redeemer.
I’ll close with the opening lines of Psalm 51, a true testimony of God’s hesed-love in David’s life:
‘Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.’
Thank you for sharing that Elaine! I love this word! One of the psalms we will explore this summer will be Psalm 51!
Looking forward to this series Kathy! I was most touched by this paragraph….
“Hesed is based on God’s character and not our worthiness. His love is freely given. It is not conditional on our behavior (Romans 5:8), but we experience it most fully through right relationship with Him. Although we will never completely grasp it, it will be glorious to try!”
So thankful that despite my failures and stumbling His love never fails because it’s based on who He is and not what I’ve done!
Kim, thanks for stopping by today! I absolutely share your in your gratitude that God is going to keep loving me no matter what!
Kathy, I do not see how we sign up for the 8-week course on Thursdays. I do not want to miss it
Hi Ellen! I’m not that fancy or official. No sign-up required, just come back every Thursday for the next 8 weeks! See you soon!