STEADFAST

In reading the Book of Daniel recently, I noted Daniel 9:4 which says: “O Lord, and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments and rules…” When we come across verses like these, we tend to focus on the part where it says God is awesome and keeps a steadfast love. We are apt to skim over the part that seems to require something of us. It doesn’t sound right that something is required of us. However, the verse says that God keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments and rules. Therefore, it can conversely be said that God doesn’t keep covenant and steadfast love with those who don’t love Him, keep His commands, and keep His rules. See what I mean? It doesn’t even sound right that a situation can exist where God doesn’t keep covenant and steadfast love with us. It’s because we live in a world which says that God loves us no matter where we are in life and regardless of how we behave. We just have to show up to church, say we believe in Jesus, and say we love God. Then we can have whatever “struggles,” behaviors, beliefs, or attitudes we want …for God loves us. Indeed, God still loves us but it may not be the kind of love we need to eternally count on. To receive eternal love we might have to do more that glamorize God’s love for us; we might have to do our part. What is our part? It is to truly seek to love the Lord God with our whole heart, soul, and mind. It’s to put aside the “struggles,” behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes which keep us from being truly obedient people who can clutch onto the steadfast promises of God. God is steadfast for those who earnestly seek Him.