Thinking about God’s characteristic of Steadfast Love brings hope and assurance to my heart. The concept of having steadfast love is something we as humans cannot attain. As much as we try to love others with steadfastness- a love that shows loyalty, unswerving devotion and commitment, immovable love that is not subject to change- we cannot. It is not in our nature to be able to be able to do this -BUT God is totally capable of loving us with steadfast love. We know from scripture that God does not lie or change his mind. Numbers 23:19 “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Hebrews 13:8 “ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” We can count on God’s unchanging character to assure that His steadfast love is always true.

God’s steadfast love has some interesting aspects and scripture gives us some insight into this type of love.

Psalm 86:5 “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
    abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” Here we have assurance that God’s steadfast love is available to all who ask for it, and it comes from His great goodness and forgiving nature.

Psalm 117:1-2 “Praise the Lord, all nations!
    Extol him, all peoples!
² For great is his steadfast love toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!” Here we are assured that God’s steadfast love is aimed right at us and given towards us. What a powerful image of His love directed exactly towards us even though we are sinners. I am reminded of the truth of Romans 5:8-9 “ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”

Psalm 118:1 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!” The previous verse also touched on the fact that God’s steadfast love is eternal. He is eternal and all his characteristics are also eternal! Psalm 90:1-2 proclaim God’s eternality, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. ² Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Being eternal we can count on His steadfast love always being available and pointed towards us.

Psalm 107 and Psalm 136 are whole psalms about the steadfast love of God. The rhythm of Psalm 136 always makes me smile. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
    for his steadfast love endures forever; ⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
⁵ to him who by understanding made the heavens,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;…. You cannot read the entirety of this psalm, or even a portion, without smiling over God’s steadfast love for us!

As I looked farther into God’s steadfast love, I saw examples throughout scripture of evidence of this type of love He promises towards us. Here are a few of the characters I found where God showed His steadfast love as an example for us to reference, learn from and depend upon as they relate to us as humans!

Joseph- Genesis 39:21 “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Joseph had some hard times and God stayed right there with him!

Job – Job 10:12 “You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.” Job suffered mightily for the Lord and was preserved though it all.

David- 2 Samuel 2:5-7 “David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. ⁶ Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. ⁷ Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” David waited 14 years to be anointed king and did not take Saul’s life even when he had the opportunity but waited for God’s timing. God showed love to David again and again!

Ezra- Ezra 7:27-28 “ Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, ²⁸ and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. God turned the hearts of the pagan king so that Ezra could return with people to Jerusalem. Only with God was this possible!

Man is not capable of the full steadfastness and faithfulness of God, but God grants the idea and desire for us to strive to love others with this kind of godly love. Paul exhorts the Thessalonians to think and act this way. 2 Thessalonians 1:2-4 “ We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, ³ remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴ For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,” In and through Jesus, we have the hope of Christ and His steadfast love within us towards others! Thank you Jesus.

Later in his letter to Timothy, Paul confides in Timothy the solidness of pursing godly attributes in our lives. 1 Timothy 6:11 “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” James tells us of the great need for this in our character to be able to walk with Jesus and stand the test of the trials that come with faith. James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” I love the fact that James tells us perusing steadfastness of character comes with blessings from God. This is such an encouragement.

I pray that this study of steadfast love helps you to see how even though we are sinners we too through Christ can have steadfast love and character in Him. Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, I can know, experience and live with God’s steadfast love in me. It is His love that shines out to others to draw them to Him!

Linda