Steadfast love is a phrase brimming with richness, especially in spiritual and devotional contexts—it evokes the unwavering, covenantal affection attributed to God’s nature throughout scripture.
Here’s how it’s often understood and explored:
🌟 Biblical Meaning
Hebrew roots: The term often translates from the Hebrew word chesed—a deeply layered word encompassing mercy, faithfulness, loyalty, and compassion.
God’s character: Steadfast love in scripture reflects God’s enduring commitment to His people, despite their failures. It’s not just emotional affection; it’s active, sustaining grace.
Key verses:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end” – Lamentations 3:22
“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds” – Psalm 36:5
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,
To have a good fellowship in your church you not only need unity and kindness amongst other things . If there is a good and positive fellowship in your church it should help it to grow. Should that positive fellowship turn to negative fellowship and the unity in the church ceases to exist then that’s when the devil get’s in a the church will decline.
I have seen this first hand in one church I was a member off and it wasn’t a pleasant thing to witness. Needless to say it wasn’t long before I found another church where I felt at home.
What John 14:27 is promising is that peace isn’t found in the absence of the storms, but in the presence of Jesus. Peace is the inheritance that God gives his children. It’s what he wants you to have. Jesus is saying that his peace is different than what the world offers.
Recently, my wife and I have felt we have been ignored by our church fellowship, which is something we are not happy about
I also have a different issue I need to get off my chest. It is a burden I have been carrying for several weeks now. Although our church is a small one and only has three elders, it hasn’t been easy to get to speak to them
I should state that neither my wife nor myself have lost our faith
We are currently on holiday at the moment trying to relax, but I’m afraid it’s being overshadowed by the above issue.
13A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.
14An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies.
15A miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song.
16A simple life in the Fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches.
17Better a bread crust shared in love than a slab of prime rib served in hate.
18Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.
19The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers; the diligent walk down a smooth road.
20Intelligent children make their parents proud; lazy students embarrass their parents.
21The empty-headed treat life as a plaything; the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it.
22Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed.
23Congenial conversation – what a pleasure! The right word at the right time – beautiful!
I don’t suppose I’ll have to tell anyone reading this that it take more facial muscles to frown than to smile. Don’t you think it’s a lot better to feel happy than down right miserable, I do! I believe God would have us being happy than sad. I also believe that because we know Christ as our Saviour we are joyful and it is our duty as Christians to go out into the world and reach out to those who don’t know Christ as their saviour.
13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Not so long ago The Salvation Army released music of the same title of today’s blog to which they put the words of a well known hymn.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[a] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
The Bible has several references on the subject of Forgiveness. One of them being the above and I suppose one of the most common ones.
As humans for some of us the act of forgiveness is not easy, we can indeed find it very hard to forgive someone how has done wrong by us or upset us in some way.
Jesus speaks of a woman washing his feet with her tears and hair, he also mentions that she anointed his feet with ointment and because of this her sins were forgiven .
Let us learn to be as forgiving as humanly possible throughout the whole year. Forgiveness is not a something that comes easy to some people, these people need to find that inner strength from the Lord.
God forgive me for my many sins Ease my troubled mind place of peace within Guide my feet so I can walk with Thee And if I hurt someone along the way God please forgive me If my hands can help a small child’s pain then let it be And if my eyes can find a trouble heart then let them see Guide my lips to say the words to help all those who fear Let me show the lost and lonely that God’s love is near God forgive me if I go astray If things I do go wrong if I loose my way I know I’ll find you in the darkest night I’ll feel your love and I’ll see your guiding light So if I go astray if I should loose my way In every prayer I’ll say God please forgive me
a smooth road. 
