Playing in the background of our psalm today is the current song, One Thing Remains reminding us of God’s love which is like no other love on earth!  God’s love is perfect, holy and true.  God’s love never has conditions.  God’s love never runs out.  God’s love never quits.  God’s love goes on and on for eternity.  In fact, “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.”  John 3:16-17, The Message

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing remains, yes, one thing remains

Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me

Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me…

We are also reminded of Paul’s “Love Chapter”, that we quote often in marriage ceremonies, but do we fully understand the intent of God’s message of how love behaves when it is HIS love in us in action towards each other? 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8

If we want to love like God loves us, then this is it!  As His love for us never fails and never gives up so should our love be for each other!  Jesus gave the extreme example of God’s love for us when he left heaven to come to earth to lay down his life for ours.

Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me

Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me

In death, in life
I’m confident and covered by
The power of Your great love

My debt is paid
There’s nothing that can separate
My heart from Your great love

Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me

Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me

Worship and Wisdom, Psalms and Proverbs

Psalm 118, The Message

^1-4 Thank God because he’s good,
    because his love never quits.
Tell the world, Israel,
    “His love never quits.”
And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world,
    “His love never quits.”
And you who fear God, join in,
    “His love never quits.”

^5-16 Pushed to the wall, I called to God;
    from the wide open spaces, he answered.
God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid;
    who would dare lay a hand on me?
God’s my strong champion;
    I flick off my enemies like flies.
Far better to take refuge in God
    than trust in people;
Far better to take refuge in God
    than trust in celebrities.
Hemmed in by barbarians,
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Hemmed in and with no way out,
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in;
    in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt.
I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
    when God grabbed and held me.
God’s my strength, he’s also my song,
    and now he’s my salvation.
Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs
    in the camp of the saved?
        “The hand of God has turned the tide!
        The hand of God is raised in victory!
        The hand of God has turned the tide!”

^17-20 I didn’t die. I lived!
    And now I’m telling the world what God did.
God tested me, he pushed me hard,
    but he didn’t hand me over to Death.
Swing wide the city gates—the righteous gates!
    I’ll walk right through and thank God!
This Temple Gate belongs to God,
    so the victors can enter and praise.

^21-25 Thank you for responding to me;
    you’ve truly become my salvation!
The stone the masons discarded as flawed
    is now the capstone!
This is God’s work.
    We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!
This is the very day God acted—
    let’s celebrate and be festive!
Salvation now, God. Salvation now!
    Oh yes, God—a free and full life!

^26-29 Blessed are you who enter in God’s name—
    from God’s house we bless you!
God is God,
    he has bathed us in light.
Adorn the shrine with garlands,
    hang colored banners above the altar!
You’re my God, and I thank you.
    O my God, I lift high your praise.
Thank God—he’s so good.
    His love never quits!

TRUTH:  God’s love never fails and never quits for believers who love Him back as their God, the One and Only God. 

Proverb 8:17, NIV

WISDOM:  I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

Abba Father,

Thank you for your love that never quits and never gives up on me.  I may give up on me from time to time but it is your extreme love that pulls me up and gives me courage to carry on.  It is your love in me that makes me love others as if my life depended on it…and it does.  For if I don’t love like you love then I act as if I don’t know you.  So, I love you, Lord with all that is in me and my desire is to love others like you love me.  Help me to love no matter what.

In Jesus Name, Amen

“My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love.” 1 John 4:7-8, The Message