Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
-Psalm 107:15-16
It is so easy for us to accept God's love for others and we can proclaim it to every person we come across. However, we struggle in the belief that He loves us just as equally, just as extremely, just as completely, and unfailingly. I know my struggles, my own sins, my weaknesses, and the times and places I fall short. These are all reasons in my mind why He shouldn't love me. It is true that I do not deserve God's love but that does not mean that He doesn't love me. We find ourselves trying to humanize God because we cannot fathom that God would still love us to the extent and depth that He does when we all have messes in our lives. As a human, I catch myself loving people according to how they act but this is not how God loves. God's love is completely unfailing.
Psalm 107:20 says, "He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave." The Lord gives us His Word to continually heal us and show His unfailing love to us as we experience His healing. Verse 22 proclaims, "tell of His works with songs of joy!" As I have been going through this study of 'Breaking Free,' the purpose has been to break chains and continue working on an even more healthy heart. The Lord has done amazing healing in my life as I continue to surrender to His unfailing love. That is the only thing that will create a healthy heart in anyone--learning to accept and abide in God's unfailing love.
God's unfailing love extends to the most rebellious captives and most afflicted fools. God also strives with His captive children until they are free. Think about those who are serving terms in prison. There are probably few prisoners who have people on the outside standing by them throughout their time in prison. The prisoners are soon forgotten. Think about Christians. Even churches create a trend that welcome the people who are bonded in alcohol, drugs, homosexuality, promiscuity, etc. at first. The church continually expects these people to fix their issues quickly though because we like success stories for powerful testimonies. God is the only one who is not repelled by the depth and length of our needs. God never excuses our sin and rebellion but His heart is still full of compassion. He patiently waits for us to leave our prisons. God does not give up on us. God may allow our lives to be more and more difficult if we stay in captivity but only so that we will become more and more desperate to surrender to God and the freedom that only He can give, but He will never leave.
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