This week, the world around us will be obsessed with love. We will enjoy showing our love for others with pieces of candy taped to little paper cards, candle-lit dinners, and all the heart-shaped gifts money can buy. And while there’s nothing wrong with celebrating love and appreciating those around us, we’ll all wake up next Monday knowing that human love can’t ultimately meet our need to be fully known and fully loved. The love of family and friends is a wonderful gift from the Lord, but it’s not meant to fully satisfy us. 

If you’re looking for love that never changes, never fails, and never ends, that love can only be found in the Lord. 

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) 

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved . . .” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1a)

“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

These verses—and many others in Scripture—reveal key insights about God’s love. First of all, God loved us while we were still sinners. He loved us when we were still dead in our sin (Ephesians 2:1-3). He will always be faithful in His love for us, and He proved that by sending His Son to die for us so we could have new life in Him. 

Second, God’s love secures our place as His children. Our adoption is rooted in God’s love for us, not our being deserving of it. Our position before God isn’t like a job we can lose if we don’t perform. It’s the status of a child who’s been permanently adopted by a loving Father. 

Third, God’s love never ends. The steadfast love of the Lord endures forever.  Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). We have complete security in God’s eternal love for His children. 

No matter what you face this week, God’s faithful, fatherly love never fails. 

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“It’s not fair!” This whiny cry is a nemesis of parents everywhere, but it demonstrates our innate sense of justice. As those made in the image of the righteous God, we recognize what’s wrong and want it to be made right. As we finish our study of Psalm 63, we see that David felt the same way. 

Can I be honest? I wanted to stop our study of Psalm 63 at verse 8. This is a tough passage, and I’m nervous that you might read a political agenda into these words. (Please don’t, and please see an important note at the end of this devo.) However, God’s justice is an important aspect of His character, and when we rightly understand it, we grow in our confidence in Him. 

“But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.” (Psalm 63:9-11) 

The introductory words of this psalm tell us it was written by David when he was in the wilderness of Judah. He probably wrote it while running for his life from either Saul or Absalom (see 1 Sam. 23 and 2 Sam. 15). Either way, David asked God to defend him against the wicked actions of his enemies, and David trusted God to do so. 

Psalm 63 reminds us that when we are treated unfairly, we can find hope in the reign of our King, Jesus Christ. It may seem like the wicked prosper now, but God will have the final say. Jesus triumphed over all His enemies on the cross and will one day judge the world with justice and righteousness. We look forward to the day when “a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice” (Isaiah 32:1). 

On that day, “the mouths of liars will be stopped” and “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Ps. 63:11, Phil. 2:11). When we look at the world and want to cry, “It’s not fair!”, we can trust the Lord to act with perfect justice and righteousness, now and forever.  

No matter what you face this week, rejoice in Jesus Christ, the King of righteousness. 

(Note: I want to be clear – these verses should never be used to justify violence or revenge against those who have wronged us. God’s Word commands us to love and pray for our enemies and to live at peace with others (Matthew 5:44, Romans 12:18). I’m also not trying to make a statement about any past or present occupants of the White House. God’s justice is so much bigger than American politics and yet, we can trust Him to one day right every wrong we see in all spheres of life.) 

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It was familiar routine for many years. We both climbed out of the white minivan, and I locked the doors. As we stepped out into the parking lot, she slipped her soft hand into mine. She knew that she was safest when she was holding her mom’s hand as we walked through the big, bad parking lot. Even as a tween, she still reaches for my hand out of habit, and it makes me smile. 

Who was holding whom as my young daughter and I walked hand-in-hand? She was the one who reached out and grabbed my hand, but I was the one who wouldn’t let go. I was the one who would scoop her up and rush her to safety if danger threatened. If she forgot to reach out and grab my hand one day, I’d reach for hers and grasp it tight. 

As we continue making our way through Psalm 63, we see that David holds on to the Lord even as he is held by the Lord. 

“My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:8) 

As we’ve studied Psalm 63 this month, we’ve seen that God was refreshing water for David’s dry soul. David knew God’s love was better than life itself. He spent nights focusing on the Lord’s faithfulness rather than his worries and regrets. Today we read that as David’s soul clung to the Lord, the Lord’s right hand held him tight. 

Are you struggling to cling to the Lord? Maybe it feels like your fingers keep slipping in the midst of fear and doubt. You’re trying to hold on, but your muscles are straining and threatening to quit. 

If your grip on God feels weak or faltering today, take comfort in these promises of God: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). 

Keep clinging, friend. And when you’re weary or overwhelmed, remember that the Lord’s steady hand upholds you. He gives you the strength and courage to persevere in the faith. He’s got a strong grip on you, and He won’t ever let go. 

No matter what you face this week, keep clinging to the Lord and trust Him to hold you. 

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