Steadfast Love Forever

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
Lord, hear my voice!
      Let your ears be attentive
      to the voice of my supplications!
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
      Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
      so that you may be revered.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
      and in [the LORD’s] word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
      more than those who watch for the morning,
      more than those who watch for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the LORD!
      For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
      and with [the LORD] is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
      from all its iniquities.
           [Psalm 130 NRSV]

      Most of us have warm memories of being deeply loved by either our grandparents or our mothers and fathers as very young children. However, for some of us as we grew up our parents may have become like the police who are constantly on watch for those who break the rules. If we did break one or more of their precious rules, then they would become the prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner all in one.
      Some individuals also have this same image of God. They do not believe in the loving and caring God who sent Jesus to teach us, guide us, and encourage each one of us to develop a truly deeper relationship with God and with each other. Some of them also do not believed that Jesus was willing to take on our punishment so that the "letter of the law" could be fulfilled and we could then be forgiven by God.
      The reality is that we either understand that there are those who do love us in spite of our short comings and failures, or we believe that no one is ever capable of loving another individual so much that they are truly capable of forgiving them. As for me, even when one of my grandchildren breaks a "rule" I’m more concerned about their safety that I ever am about weather they get punished. I truly do believe in God’s steadfast love, and I also believe that it is forever.