Our Unstoppable God
The Text
John 3:14–17 (CSB) “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Galatians 2:20 (CSB) I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Romans 5:6-8 (CSB) For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person — though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The Devotion
The Scriptures
1 John 4:7–21 (CSB)
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God.
16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
17 In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love.
19 We love because he first loved us.
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
21 And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.
Lamentations 3:22–24 (CSB) Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, “The LORD is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.”
Genesis 1:1 (CSB) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Exodus 20:1–6 (CSB) Then God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.
Exodus 34:6–7 (CSB) The LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed: The LORD—the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.
Numbers 14:18–19 (CSB) The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation. Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love, just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.”
Deuteronomy 7:12–13 (CSB) “If you listen to and are careful to keep these ordinances, the LORD your God will keep his covenant loyalty with you, as he swore to your ancestors. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will bless your offspring, and the produce of your land—your grain, new wine, and fresh oil—the young of your herds, and the newborn of your flocks, in the land he swore to your ancestors that he would give you.
1 Chronicles 16:34 (CSB) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 17:6–9 (CSB)
6 I call on you, God, because you will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say.7 Display the wonders of your faithful love, Savior of all who seek refuge from those who rebel against your right hand.
8 Protect me as the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
9 from the wicked who treat me violently, my deadly enemies who surround me.
Psalm 52:8 (CSB) But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.
Psalm 61:7 (CSB) May he sit enthroned before God forever. Appoint faithful love and truth to guard him.
Psalm 77:8 (CSB) Has his faithful love ceased forever? Is his promise at an end for all generations?
Psalm 89:1 (CSB) I will sing about the LORD’s faithful love forever; I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations with my mouth.
Psalm 89:2 (CSB) For I will declare, “Faithful love is built up forever; you establish your faithfulness in the heavens.”
Psalm 89:28 (CSB) I will always preserve my faithful love for him, and my covenant with him will endure.
Psalm 100:5 (CSB) For the LORD is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.
Psalm 106:1 (CSB) Hallelujah! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 107:1 (CSB) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 117:1–2 (CSB) Praise the LORD, all nations! Glorify him, all peoples! For his faithful love to us is great; the LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Hallelujah!
Psalm 118:1–29 (CSB)
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.2 Let Israel say, “His faithful love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His faithful love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the LORD say, “His faithful love endures forever.”
5 I called to the LORD in distress; the LORD answered me and put me in a spacious place.
6 The LORD is for me; I will not be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?
7 The LORD is my helper; therefore, I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humanity.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in nobles.
10 All the nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I destroyed them.
11 They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I destroyed them.
12 They surrounded me like bees; they were extinguished like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I destroyed them.
13 They pushed me hard to make me fall, but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
15 There are shouts of joy and victory in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand performs valiantly!
16 The LORD’s right hand is raised. The LORD’s right hand performs valiantly!”
17 I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.
18 The LORD disciplined me severely but did not give me over to death.
19 Open the gates of righteousness for me; I will enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the LORD’s gate; the righteous will enter through it.
21 I will give thanks to you because you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
23 This came from the LORD; it is wondrous in our sight.
24 This is the day the LORD has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it.
25 LORD, save us! LORD, please grant us success!
26 He who comes in the name of the LORD is blessed. From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God and has given us light. Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks. You are my God; I will exalt you.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1–26 (CSB)
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.
4 He alone does great wonders. His faithful love endures forever.
5 He made the heavens skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.
6 He spread the land on the waters. His faithful love endures forever.
7 He made the great lights: His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule by day, His faithful love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to rule by night. His faithful love endures forever.
10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians His faithful love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them His faithful love endures forever.
12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm. His faithful love endures forever.
13 He divided the Red Sea His faithful love endures forever.
14 and led Israel through, His faithful love endures forever.
15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever.
16 He led his people in the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever.
17 He struck down great kings His faithful love endures forever.
18 and slaughtered famous kings— His faithful love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites His faithful love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan— His faithful love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His faithful love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to Israel his servant. His faithful love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our humiliation His faithful love endures forever.
24 and rescued us from our foes. His faithful love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature. His faithful love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven! His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 138:8 (CSB)
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me. LORD, your faithful love endures forever; do not abandon the work of your hands.
Hosea 2:16–23 (CSB) In that day— this is the LORD’s declaration— you will call me, “My husband,” and no longer call me, “My Baal.” For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth; they will no longer be remembered by their names. On that day I will make a covenant for them with the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the creatures that crawl on the ground. I will shatter bow, sword, and weapons of war in the land and will enable the people to rest securely. I will take you to be my wife forever. I will take you to be my wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. I will take you to be my wife in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD. On that day I will respond— this is the LORD’s declaration. I will respond to the sky, and it will respond to the earth. The earth will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the fresh oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will sow her in the land for myself, and I will have compassion on Lo-ruhamah; I will say to Lo-ammi: You are my people, and he will say, “You are my God.”
Matthew 5:45 (CSB) so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Titus 3:4–7 (CSB) But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
1 John 3:1 (CSB) See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him.