Isaiah 63:7-10 – God’s lovingkindness never fails

In Isaiah 63:7-10, the prophet speaks of the steadfast lovingkindness of God. When he thought about how God had loved Israel, His people, he could not stop praising Him. For He chose to embrace His people with His abundant and steadfast love. God dealt compassionately with them. Israel became His chosen people, and He became their Savior. He also shared their afflictions and came to their rescue so that they would not be overwhelmed. He redeemed them and sustained them in their journey. But Israel was not faithful to Him. As a people, they rebelled and grieved His Spirit. As a result, He turned against them and they became His enemy, and He used their oppressors to fight them. God turned against them not to destroy them but to get them to realize their waywardness and to willingly return to experience His love.

In reflecting on these verses, we cannot get away from the lovingkindness of God. It is an action that originates with Him. This word lovingkindness speaks of God’s covenant faithfulness and loyalty to His people. It describes God’s character and reveals the depth of His love towards His people. If we look at the history of Israel, we will see that it was God who in His love chose them and not the other way around. Israel did not do anything to merit God’s choice. In fact, they spurned His love and became unfaithful to Him. Despite their rebelliousness, His covenant loyalty would not let them go. He chose to discipline them to help to align their attitude toward Him and to return to Him in love.

God loves not only in words and intention but in real action. It is a choice He has made. Hence despite our failures to appropriately reciprocate His love, He remains faithful to us. It is unilateral, He loves regardless. He loves us not because of what we do but in spite of what we do. God’s lovingkindness never fails. When rightly appropriated, His lovingkindness will help us to start the day aright. It helps us to see that every day is a new day to build on His love for us. We must learn to seize every moment of every day to love God in return. Let it not be only our intention but our action. We must love Him with all our heart, our mind, our soul, and our strength. It the only appropriate response to His lovingkindness. Let’s do it!