We made use of a local daycare when the children were younger and we lived in a different city. It was a really good environment with caring teachers, and we felt fortunate that we were able to partner with them during those early years with the kids. Like all schools and daycares, however, once an illness started to get passed around, it was only a matter of time until our own children brought it home. In other words, my wife and I were sick a lot during those years!
I remember one occasion in particular, where we had been passing around a stomach bug back and forth in our house. I believe I was on my second round, and this strain was particularly nasty. As I lay on the bathroom floor one night with my back pressed up against the wall for support, I felt myself begin to pass out. Most likely, this was due to dehydration and weakness, but at that moment the specific cause wasn't particularly important. My wife noticed my condition, and decided that she would notify her employer and stay home with me that night to help nurse me back to health. I will never forget this moment, because it demonstrated to me that when the chips were down; she would always choose family. Her love was all encompassing in that regard.
When I think about how much we need God's love in our life (especially when things go wrong or we are really sick), I am taken back to Psalm 94:17-19, "Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, 'My foot is slipping', your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." The context of this situation had to do with God avenging and protecting the psalmist against an external enemy. So much of Old Testament Scripture can be cast against the backdrop of an invading army or the threat of war. It seems like the Israelites were always in some kind of trouble.
I want to focus for a minute on the part where the psalmist tells God that his foot is slipping. If we are honest, I think most of us can admit that we have all been in this situation. We have all felt oppressed. Maybe it is because we are worried about the pandemic. When will I get my vaccine Lord, I'm not sure I can wait it out much longer. My foot is slipping. Or maybe you are struggling with your marriage or a relationship. You might tell the Lord that you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel … my foot is slipping. At each turn, we understand the same thing that the author of this psalm did: God's love will never fail us, even if everything else does. When we find that we cannot stand firm on our own, His love supports our feet.
Please look further back with me now, as we peer into one of the five books of Moses. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments." The backdrop here is also one of impending conflict and war. Basically God was instructing His people what to do if they were to go to war with an enemy army. The message here is simple. We are to know that God is faithful and trustworthy, and that His love is long lasting. Up to "a thousand generations" for those who love and obey Him.
Given these two revelations, I believe we can draw the conclusion that God's love is relentless - we can run from it for a while, but we cannot hide from it or pretend it doesn't exist. Some days we may feel this love in a palpable way, and other times we may not sense it at all. But make no mistake, on those days when our feet are slipping … He isn't aloof or unaware of what we are going through.
I have a feeling that the world needs to know this kind of love right now. It is patient, kind, compassionate, and enduring. All the things that are most definitely lacking at the moment in the national news. America is going through some growing pains right now. We have forgotten that we are children of the one true God, created in His image, and made for good works that were designed for us ahead of time. Many have grasped the 'eye for an eye' concept from Old Testament Scripture, but they forget how to remove the plank from their own eye, prior to criticizing the speck in their neighbor's eye. It's a matter of Godly perspective, and not human hubris or pride.
I will leave you with one final passage from Hebrews 13:5. It says, "... Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." This is a promise that we can count on. If you take nothing else away from this article, I hope you remember that.
After I had recovered from that awful bout of stomach flu years ago, my wife finally began showing symptoms herself. No doubt because she had tended so closely to my well being. The doctor had now become the patient, so to speak. It was my turn to do the cleaning and cook dinner for the kids while she rested. Love is funny that way, it prompts people to do what needs to be done without even thinking about it. It is relentless in its pursuit of what is best for the other person. It is a lesson that needs to be put on display as much as possible, and wherever people are willing to listen.
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