Loyal Love by David Jeremiah

Thursday, August 23 Loyal Love    The goodness of God endures continually. Psalm 52:1    We have some examples of things happening “continually” in our world: the thunderous flow of water over Niagara Falls or Victoria Falls in Africa. Or consider the constant flow of energy from our solar system’s sun, or the continual pull of gravity that keeps us grounded. Some things happen so continuously that we don’t think about them; we take them for granted and thus fail to appreciate them.

Recommended Reading: Psalm 145:1-9

While the continual action of some things in nature might one day be interrupted, there is one continual reality that will never be—God’s goodness: “The goodness of God endures continually.” The Hebrew word translated “goodness” in Psalm 52:1 is the foundational word for God’s chief attribute in the Old Testament: hesed. It is most often translated “lovingkindness” or “mercy,” but a more illustrative way of rendering hesed is “loyal love.” What do you think of when you think of loyalty? In a friend, loyalty means a person who is always faithful, always dependable, always there, and always good. That is a person you count on through thick and thin. That is how the psalmist describes God when he says, “The [loyal-love] of God endures continually.” Waterfalls, sunlight, and gravity may end, but God’s goodness will not.  God’s goodness is the preeminent expression of His glory.  Jerry Bridges