My Favorite Song

If I was only allowed to listen to one song for the rest of my life, hands down it would be “Your Love Never Fails” by Newsboys. Although this may seem like such a lofty claim, I count it as my favorite song because the lyrics of this song is filled with hope, encouragement, and love.

More importantly, the person whom these lyrics are pointing us to is Jesus. With Easter just past us, it is important to remember what Jesus did on our behalf. We can take heart that we can now overcome those things that were once against us. They are now all powerless against us when we accept in faith what Jesus did for us on the cross.

For some of us, life is a constant struggle. For others, life is mostly filled with wins and happiness but no one is exempt from tragedy, misfortune, pain, rejection, and hurt at some point in our lives. It is at these moments in our lives that I think that these lyrics will leap out and speak to our hearts. Even in our successes, it is important to remember these truths because in our humility, we are able to find stability. In these next few paragraphs, I would like to share with you some of my thoughts and how I have found hope, encouragement, and love in these lyrics.

HIS LOVE NEVER FAILS

Have you been hurt by those you thought would never hurt you? Rejection is probably the most common form of hurt delivered by others and it can come to us in many different directions. Rejection can come from someone that you put your total trust and faith in. Someone you thought you would be with the rest of your life. Maybe it came from a friend you thought had your back but when the chips were down, they left you alone and in pain. Maybe it was a boss or co-worker who despite your best efforts, sought their own gain at the expense of yours.

The truth is that none of us is exempt. At some point in our lives, we will find ourselves rejected or in pain because the people we counted on let us down. But take heart because God’s love never fails. Psalm 136:23-24 says, “God saw the trouble we were in. God’s love never fails. He rescued us from our enemies. God’s love never fails.”

No matter your circumstances, God’s love never fails! He is with you in the midst of the rejection and the pain and He says, “I love you and I am here with you.” When people have let you down, Jesus says, “I love you and I am here with you.” So no matter what you are going through, just know that you are not alone and that God’s love will never fail you. Even when you feel all alone and rejected, He is at your side and He loves you.

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US

Have you ever felt alone even when you are in the midst of a large group of people? Do you sometimes put on a show to hide your hurt and struggle from others? In moments like these, it is easy to feel alone and separated from the rest of the world.

Take heart because Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit states in Roman 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Don’t believe the lie that no one cares about you and that you are all alone. When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple was torn to symbolize that the separation between humankind and God has been removed and we can all call out to Him directly, without any mediator, at any time.

From my own experience, God has used family, friends and even strangers to speak truth into my life to let me know that I am not alone and that He was always there with me. Look for those moments because when you believe in faith that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, nothing can separate you from God.

I STILL MAKE MISTAKES BUT HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERYDAY

If you are like me, you still make a ton of mistakes. Sometimes those actions turn into constant struggles. In moments like these, it is easy to beat yourself up and think that you will never be the person you know deep down inside you know you can be. Take heart because God’s mercies are new every morning. In Lamentations 3:22-23 it says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” I love this verse because it says that we all have the opportunity to make good on the things we didn’t do yesterday.

When you think about it, you don’t need mercy if you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. So this verse also encourages us to keep moving forward and don’t let the failures of yesterday prevent you from living abundantly today.

SAME THROUGH THE AGES

Have you ever personally seen or heard about God moving powerfully in someone’s life? If you are like me, in those moments you probably said, “But that can’t happen to me.” If so, don’t be discouraged because Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

I have always been encouraged by this verse because Jesus did some amazing things back then, in my own life, and that of the lives of others. There is no reason why He can’t continue to do amazing things again and again. When I think of Jesus and who He is, I see someone who was full of grace. A person who understood our hearts and spoke to us accordingly. It gave me comfort because I knew that He would provide grace when it was warranted and because He loved me, He would also provide a stern word when it was necessary. Because He demonstrated that grace and love back then, I know that He will do the same for me today and into the future.

PAIN IN THE NIGHT BUT JOY COMES IN THE MORNING

On any given day, I can log onto Facebook and see posts about a birthday, anniversary, or special moment. When I see these posts, I often think about how for that person, this day is special and significant. In that same Facebook session, the absence of any posts can mean that there wasn’t any significance for a particular person. For others, their posts provide proof that this day was a day of pain or loss. For those days when you were that person that experience pain or loss, take heart that even though there may be pain in your heart as you lay your head on your pillow, joy is available to you in the morning. It isn’t a mistake that we all have to call it a day and rest so we can get up again with joy available to us as we start anew.

Jesus demonstrated this idea when He was crucified on the cross. There was so much pain experienced leading up to and at that moment on the cross. But after experiencing that pain and being dead for three days, He arose bringing joy to all of humanity.

So if you are experiencing pain as you read this, take heart that joy can come to you in the morning if you have put your trust and faith in Jesus. In the same way He rose, you too can rise from your situation and find joy in the morning.

DO NOT BE AFRAID

Did you know that the phrase “Do not be afraid” occurs in the Bible 365 times? I don’t think it is a coincidence. God is trying to tell us that we do not have to be afraid a single day in our life.

It is really hard sometimes to not be overcome by fear. Like rejection, fear can come at us in many different directions. Maybe your fear comes from the fear of failure. The thought of trying something new creates anxiety. Maybe you decided not to reach out to someone for fear of rejection. Maybe you are afraid because the circumstances surrounding you seem too big to overcome. If this is the case, take heart because we no longer have to be overcome by fear.

In the story of David and Goliath, David was the only one in Israel who was willing to take on the giant Goliath. David’s faith in God was demonstrated when in 1 Samuel 17:47, David says to Goliath, “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give all of you into our hands.”

You see, David viewed his circumstances differently than the rest of Israel. The soldiers of Israel probably thought, “This giant is so big, there is no way we can beat him.” Meanwhile, David probably thought to himself, “With God with me, this giant is so big, I can’t miss.” If you know the rest of the story, David struck Goliath right in the forehead with a rock slaying the giant.

We can all follow David’s example and put our trust in God and change our perspective. Because with God by our side, no challenge is too big and no fear can overtake us.

YOU CAN REACH THE OTHER SIDE

Though the chasms in our situations may seem too wide, we can reach the other side. Sometimes taking the first step is necessary. After that, placing one foot in front of the other is required. As we approach the edge, we realize that it is impossible to cross that chasm on our own strength. When I experience those moments, I have to remind myself that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).

Maybe you have found yourself staying on that same side of the chasm because you have said things like, “I just can’t do it” or “There is no way I can get there.” If so, you are right! You alone can’t get across those wide chasms but when we give our burdens to Him, He is able to take them on. That’s because He has already taken them from us when He died on the cross.

Maybe you have found yourself standing on the edge of a chasm and as you look across your personal chasm, you feel alone and discouraged. Just know that in your darkest moments and in the mire of your solitude, Jesus is there. He sees your pain and He is very present in your situation standing with you on that same side and He will help you get across. Turn to Him and ask Him to carry your burdens so that you can rise, get off that edge, and get to the other side.

So if you feel that you can’t get to the other side of your circumstances, lean on Him and give your burdens to Him. You will find that those chasms in your life are not so wide after all.

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR YOUR GOOD

All these thoughts merge to this last promise that all things will work together for our good. If you are like me, this is sometimes a hard promise to swallow when those moments include some tough lessons and painful experiences.

We will probably never know why we lost that love one, went through that circumstance, or never achieved that dream. From my own experience and speaking to countless others, those moments served as turning points in our lives. It provided opportunities to pause and reflect on what truly matters in life. It allowed us to transition to a better version of ourselves or away from a destructive path.

Whatever you are going through, I pray that you don’t allow those situations to define you. Instead, take the lessons that can be learned from those experiences and become a better you. Whether you realize it or not, these circumstances have given you credibility to speak hope, courage, and love to someone who is currently struggling with those situations you have overcome.

For me, life has purpose. We were never meant to just go through the motions. I believe our first purpose is to accept our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into our lives. When we accept by faith what He did for us on the cross and believe that He rose on that third day, we have eternal salvation. The second purpose is to live a life of impact through the sharing of our experiences so that others can find eternal salvation so that they too can live a life of impact on others.

This is possible when we hold true to the truths I listed above. “Your Love Never Fails” may not be your "one song" but I hope its lyrics are ones you come to experience and hold onto every day of your life.