Because of your steadfast love...

Here's the link to a song that has been inspiring me recently...and has been on my mind a lot since the previous post...

Have mercy on me. Sovereign Grace

this recording captures a lot of emotion and I felt very moved by it. 

The lyrics are fabulous

"have mercy on me because of your steadfast love"

not

"have mercy on me because I deserve it because I'm a good person"

This song asks God to be faithful, to be true to himself and his promises, for his name's sake...

He is faithful!

He is true to himself!

He is true to his promises!

His is a good and glorious name!

Never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love

In between reading stories about farm animals, mermaids and cats that can drive cars…I have been reading through the psalms recently and I have been particularly struck by the number of times I have come across the phrase “steadfast love”.

Here are a few verses:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love” Ps 51:1
  

“The steadfast love of God endures all the day” Ps 52:1

“I trust in the steadfast love of the Lord forever and ever” Ps 52:8

“God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!” Ps 57:3

“My God, in his steadfast, love will meet me” Ps 59:10

“Steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord” Ps 62:12

“Your steadfast love is better than life” Ps 63:3

So in my usual pedantic manner I thought it best to look up the definition of steadfast to try and figure out why it’s used to many times

“Fixed in intensity, unwavering and determined in purpose, loyal, constant and unswerving” thanks Mr. Online Dictionary...crikey.

God’s love is fixed in intensity:

I guess it is! God’s been in a perfect and loving relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit since before the world began.  His love is fixed on them intensely and passionately.  And there was so much intense love in the beginning that it couldn’t be contained just within the trinity so it burst out into creation and overflowed into our world and into its people.  God loves me intensely, he loves the lady intensely.  This intense love is all consuming and God doesn’t want to see us exist outside of his love hence why he sent Jesus to draw us near and make us able to experience his incredible and intense love.

God’s love is unwavering and determined in purpose:

God’s love for the trinity, for his world, for me and the baby lady will never ever change and it is determined to see me rescued from my selfish, sinful ways and make me more like Christ, so I am able to experience the steadfast love of God more fully.  It is determined that all people should have a chance to hear about this love and respond to it in kind and I will do my best to make sure the lady has every chance, I think that’s why God has given her to me.

God’s love is loyal:

God is incapable of lying and of betrayal.  It’s not in his nature-thank goodness!  This makes him utterly trustworthy as Psalm 52:8 has already commented on.  When I have told non-Christians “God loves you” I am not surprised that more than half the time I witness a half hearted, almost cynical response.  I think it’s because people think that God’s love is like human love. In a world full of broken families and hurtful relationships trying to have a relationship with God sounds like risky business; “What if he doesn’t really love me? What if he lets me down and hurts me? What if he betrays me?”  NOT POSSIBLE.  God’s love is 100% loyal and utterly trustworthy so we have no need to fear.

God’s love is constant and unswerving:

The Jesus Story Book describes it as “Never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love”.  Which is brilliant! God's love for me and the Lady will never stop. But admittedly being this loved is a  little exhausting.  Believing in God and trying to live in the light of this incredible love is hard work.  It’s hard work to trust it all the time.  It’s hard work to let it take deep roots in my lazy heart. It’s hard work to let it impact and change the way I am a mother and a wife.  It’s hard work in comparison to the easy job of being sinful and not having to change...

WOW! 

Who knew there was so much to the phrase "steadfast love"! 

I'd love to know what you think about the phrase "steadfast love". 

What does it mean to you and for you?  

How have you experienced God's steadfast love in your life?

My sister's in the post!

When the Lady was 6 months old (before I came into the family) she just suddenly stopped sucking on her dummy and started to chew on a soft toy for comfort. She went around victimizing a furry foot or hand or in my case, an ear!  Toys that were once beautiful fluffy and pink are now matted and browned forever but they are at least loved…there is nothing that toys fear most than being unloved.  

And that was my fear…as I made my way from the factory I wondered who would own me and give me hugs and take me on outings.  I had no idea that although I would spend 99% of my life feeling a bit soggy and smelling a bit sweet I would be loved beyond a shadow of a doubt.  That I would be taken on day trips to the beach, to dinner at Wagamamas and to picnics in the park.  I had no idea that I would meet so many members of my extended family: Grannies, Uncles and Cousins once removed!

My first picnic in the park

My first trip to the beach

My first hug with Nana

My first wedding and hugs with my Grandpa and Uncle

Mummy and Daddy have worked very hard to ensure that the Lady doesn’t have an all time favourite toy that she cannot live without but they have failed!  And I’m pleased to boast that I’m the favourite! 

In fact they’ve failed so much so that Mummy and Daddy have asked the factory to send one of my many identical sisters to come and help me look after the Lady. Hooray!  I can't wait to meet her.

Although we may have to give her a new name....

3 things the lady gets to do that I don’t.

 

Who wouldn't want to get away with a reindeer onsie at Christmas!?

1. Wear daring, fun and colourful clothing every day.  I used to quite like spending time picking out what I was going to wear and choosing some jewelry that went with my outfit.  Nothing too snazzy but it used to be a large part of my morning routine.  Of course now I’m at work I don’t have to think about it three days a week, I just stick on the same old yellow t-shirt that makes me look like a giant daffodil (in fact one of my residents calls me the budgie…charming) and I’m off.  But on my days off, I’d much rather spend time choosing what to put the lady in!  She has so much clothing and all of it’s WAY nicer than mine and it’s mostly stuff I’d love to wear but can’t really get away with.  Bright pink tights with a bear on the bottom for starters! Flowery onsies, vibrant patterned dresses, polka dot t-shirts, stripy leggings...
2. Fart in public without being mortified.  For one thing the lady seems to have no idea that she’s even “windy popping” as we more politely call it in our house (or you can choose from trouser cough or bottom burp- whatever takes your fancy.) and for another she has no shame and, of course, no sense of embarrassment!  She just carries on crawling...as if nothing ever happened. Oh to be so free!
3. Use smiles and kisses as currency.  There are very few things that she can’t get from me with a smile and a kiss.  I’m about to scold the lady for having her whole face covered in cheesy beans and then she smiles at me...I’m about to sit down with my sandwich, and even though the lady’s already had hers a cheeky smile gets her a bit of mine...I say “give mummy a kiss” and in the few seconds when she leans in and puts her little mouth to mine, she could ask for the world and I’d give it to her if I could...

 What about you?  What things do your children do that you really wish you could too?

Next to me...

A friend of mine recently suggested this song as inspiration for a blog.  It’s Emeli Sande’s “Next to Me:

Next to me by Emeli Sande

 

Here is a version of the lyrics without all the oooohhhhs...

You won't find him drinking at the tables
rolling dice and staying out til 3
you won't ever find him being unfaithful
you will find him, you'll find him next to me.

You won't find him trying to chase the devil
for money, fame, for power, out of grief
you won't ever find him where the rest go
you will find him, you'll find him next to me.

When the money's spent and all my friends have vanished
and I can't seem to find no help or love for free
I know there's no need for me to panic
cause I'll find him, I'll find him next to me.

When the skies are grey and all the doors are closing

and the rising pressure makes it hard to breathe
well, all I need is a hand to stop the tears from falling
I will find him, I'll find him next to me.

When the end has come and buildings falling down fast
when we spoilt the land and dried up all the sea
when everyone has lost their heads around us
you will find him, you'll find him next to me.

I had heard this song before my friend recommended it but I'd never really paid much attention to the lyrics. I'd simply enjoyed tapping my foot enthusiastically along  without much thought for the words.  Since I looked them up I can’t stop listening to it!  I don’t know if Emeli is a Christian or not and it doesn’t bother me either way because songs are as much about interpretation as they are the writer's intent.  But for my non-christian friend who recommended it and for me there are definitely some “religious” overtones to say the least!

I think it’s a bit of a modern psalm and I especially love the line “when I can’t seem to find no help or love for free...I’ll find him next to me”.  It makes a certain kind of joy and assurance well up in my heart because I know that Jesus’ help and love is free and always will be. He will never be unfaithful; he can stop the tears from falling... 

He's next to me.  

I hope and pray that one day the lovely Lady will choose to have him next to her. 

And if he isn't already, the question is: Will you find him next to you?