To count on somebody is to expect them to help you when you need them. In this world, where problems can be counted on, to have someone in our lives who we can be confident in and depend on, is of great value. Some of us have friends, family or life partners that play that role. Their love for us is what we count on.
Proverbs 19:22 makes it clear that what we “desire is unfailing love.” A love like this, gives us significance as a person, as well as security about life.
However, in Proverbs 20:6 it warns: “Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?” People cannot love perfectly and they will fail us. How many times have our hearts cried: “But I thought I could count on you?” People will let us down both unintentionally and on purpose.
The nature of humanity is that it has fault.
The love of God though, is not like this. He is able to love perfectly and this love is lavish and focused on us. He can be counted on. “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out all fear…” (1 John 4:18). We need not fear that he will fail us, abandon us, leave us to our own devices, because His love does not change, it is perfect and therefore it makes it impossible for Him to not be there when we need Him.
His love endures over time, and is unfailing.
We tend to make God human. We think that God operates according to human rules and human tendencies. We know what we would do in certain relationships and situations. We often think that God will treat us in exactly the same way, we would treat others. If we reject, we think God rejects. If we abandon, we think God abandons. If we don’t forgive, we think that God does not forgive. If we harbor anger, we think that God harbors anger towards us.
God is not like us and does not operate like us. His very nature is love, He is holy and perfect and we are sin-filled and imperfect.
Though many people may love us, only God has unfailing love towards us.
“And so, we know and rely on the love God has for us.” (1 John 4:16). It is one thing to acknowledge that God’s love is unfailing, but quite another to know this love and then rely on it. Which is why Paul prayed for the Ephesians in Eph 3:17-19 that “…being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses all knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God.”
We are to become rooted and established in the knowledge of God’s love, to know it intimately and then from this knowledge we can rely and count on the love God has for us.
God is the only One we can count on because He loves us perfectly.
You are a faithful God, my Father. When others leave, You always stay. When others fail, You always lead me to a win. Your love is constant, it never wavers, never doubts, never keeps a record of my wrongs. You always protect me, always call me up higher, always work in my life. I rest in knowing that You can be counted on, that no matter what I face in life, that You will be present and active in my life. I rest in that even when I am at my worst, your love for me does not change, You are faithful to me.
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