God’s Love Through the Ages

This title is actually a figure of speech that the French call double entendre, or double meaning. We will look at God’s great love throughout the ages, all time. And we will see how He loves us through His Son Jesus Christ throughout the different ages, or seasons, that we live in this earthly life.

Sherry and I recently moved from Southern California to Northwestern Idaho. The winter is coming and snow is predicted this week. I grew up in Missouri during some pretty cold winters, and the house I lived in until I was ten years old was drafty. One comfort to me was the old oil furnace in our house.

As I was thinking about this earlier today, my Mom called and we talked about how she still remembers me sitting next to the wall heater vent. The funny thing is, that now at 66 years of age, I still sit next to the heater vent in our home. No matter where Sherry and I have lived, God has taken care of us. And now He lovingly gave us a gas heater to keep me warm this winter.

God’s Love Through The Ages

Our heavenly Father’s love is everlasting. It brings everlasting salvation and comfort. We have a good hope in Christ through God’s grace.

Jeremiah 31:3:
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

II Thessalonians 2:16:
Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace.

God planned for us because He knows everything that will be. He knew that Adam would fall and that we would be spiritually dead. But in His love and grace, he saved us in Christ so that in the ages still to come we will spend eternity with Him in new bodies. And while we’re here on earth, He helps us walk in good works that He already knows we will do.

Ephesians 2:4-10:
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Because of His love through the ages, he planned for us to have each other, the body of Christ. It doesn’t matter anyone’s background anywhere in the world. We can be one in Christ. God hid this truth through the ages because it was so great! It is His eternal purpose. Now we can boldly come to our “Daddy” through what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us.

Ephesians 3:4-6, 11, 12:
Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Together, we can be filled with God’s fullness in our lives today. He gave us His everlasting love so that we can love and take care of each other. Over the past month, Sherry and I have seen some major health challenges. But we know it was the love and prayers of so many of you that allowed God to come through and give us total healing. The Bible says that the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous produce mighty results. God is faithful to His Word, and His grace came through for us.

Ephesians 3:17-21:
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

This mystery was hidden throughout the ages. Now we can know that our risen Lord Jesus Christ lives in us by the gift of holy spirit we’ve received. He is our brother, Lord, and the head of the body that we’re a part of. It is Christ in you today, and it has hope of future glory when he comes back for us!

Colossians 1:26,27:
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

God’s Love Throughout Our Earthly Lives

Our Father lives in eternity. Compared to that, our life on earth is very short. At our very best, we are vain and small in relation to Him.

Psalms 39:5:
Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

The nice thing is that our Father is big and strong and can take care of us our whole lives.

Psalms 71:16-18:
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

Each day we should remember His goodness to us through what Jesus Christ has done, continues to do, and will do for us. We have healing in his name, we are redeemed from the Devil’s attacks, we are crowned with his loving kindness and tender love, we have our “daily bread” supplied and we can have our youthfulness restored as we grow older. My Mom is 95 and is still as sharp as when I was a kid. She loves God, prays to Him, and He takes care of her. He will do the same for us!

Psalms 103:2-5:
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

God knew we would be born and helped us get here. He’ll stick with us to the end.

Isaiah 46:3,4:
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

Ages or Seasons of Life

We grow and change throughout our lives. We grow from babies to children to youths to full age and then to old age. This can be likened to seasons in a year with spring, summer, fall, and winter. But each season has its own godly beauty and design. We can enjoy fellowship with the Father in each one. His love is through the ages that we live.

Youth

We can trust God from our younger days, as parents and other faithful believers instruct us. I have the joy of teaching high school students at a Christian school. Young believers can be great examples in their speech, behavior, love, believing trust in the Father, and purity of heart.

Psalms 71:5:
For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

I Timothy 4:12:
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Full Age

The Bible refers to those in the “flower” of their age, much as a plant blooms and reaches maturity. Those who are of full age can discern good and evil–we can obey God and resist the Devil.

I Corinthians 7:36:
…if she pass the flower of her age.

Hebrews 5:14:
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Old Age

Sherry and I have many good friends in this category, including parents and family, and also believers we have loved for decades. People are “stricken” in age as we grow older. With good health maintenance, we can live a full life. That maintenance primarily includes keeping our thoughts on God.  III John 2 says that when our souls, our thoughts, prosper, God will keep us in good health. Like Abraham, God can bless us in all things as we remember Him in our later years.

Genesis 24:1:
And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

Ecclesiastes 12:1:
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.

The following six verses in Ecclesiastes 12 describe physical challenges of older age. But even then, God is faithful to give us His strength. Moses and Caleb are great examples of this.

Deuteronomy 34:7:
And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.

Joshua 14:10,11:
And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me [Caleb] alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.

Abraham lived in good old age, full of years. We can enjoy our “good old age” as well.

Genesis 25:8:
Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.

Naomi had a challenging life, losing her husband and her two sons. But her daughter-in-law, Ruth, remarried and had a son named Obed. This grandchild was a refreshing in Naomi’s old age. Sherry and I see how our granddaughter, Florence, keeps us “young” at heart as she grows to love her parents and us.

Ruth 4:15,16:
And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

We can praise God each day. As we do so, He is there to strengthen us as we get older.

Psalms 71:8,9:
Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

In Bible lands, palm trees continue to bring forth fruit that is useful and needful. We can be the same. We will be “fat,” prosperous, and flourishing as we stay “planted” in the fellowship of our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Psalms 92:12-14:
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.

Anna was an amazing woman. Even if she was married at the age of thirteen, she had been married seven years and then lived another 84 years after that. She was at least 104 years old! Yet, she looked for the coming Messiah and rejoiced to see his day. She told all she knew about Jesus Christ. That’s a worthy endeavor in our old age.

Luke 2:36-38:
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

God’s Love in Us

God’s pure love enables us to handle any situation in this life.

I Corinthians 13:7,8:
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Charity never faileth [never ends].

We can bear whatever comes our way. We can hope and trust in the Father through any of life’s challenges. We can endure and come out on top through what Christ has done for us. Why? Because our Father’s love in us will never cease. In fact, we will live in His love throughout eternity. The adventure has already begun!

How can we be loving like our Father at all the seasons of our lives? We can be patient, kind, lowly, meek, supporting each other, giving, caring, serving, fully sharing, crying and laughing with each other, doing our daily jobs, being with our families and friends, speaking the truth, and praying without ceasing. All of these things are how we can love.

Enjoy the Father’s love at whatever age you may be. And look forward to sharing His love together throughout the ages. I love you and thank God for you each day.