But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Every time we go down to the mall and walk past the pet store, my wife, Pam, drags me in. She gets such a kick out of looking at the small puppies and kittens. Although I don't like to admit it, for fear we'll end up bringing some furry critter home, they really are adorable.

On a recent visit to see the kittens and puppies, the pet store had a new sign in the window. It read, "Love Guaranteed Forever". Now, there's no question in my mind that the pet store certainly does try to sell love, but that part about "forever"? Forever seems to be stretching things a bit.

Animals, no matter how much we love them, or how devoted they are to us, end up coming and going. And we do, too.

Is there any place where love can be guaranteed? Even the most faithful of spouses will eventually end up having to say an earthly farewell. Many of you, with an ache in your hearts understand what I'm saying.

That's why, if we are looking for permanence in love, it's not out of line to say it can be found only in the Lord. By His grace and through the redemptive act of His Son, our heavenly Father offers us a love, which is guaranteed for all of our tomorrows -and into that time when tomorrows and time are no more.

Only through our forgiving, loving Lord can we receive a loving commitment that is guaranteed to last forever.


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"



THE PRAYER: Dear Father in heaven, You gave the world love when it would have been perfectly right for You to turn away. You have given us lasting love and His Name is Jesus. His resurrection has sealed our salvation and the eternal joy we have. We worship You. Amen.


Note: Today, we celebrate Armed Forces Day. At Lutheran Hour Ministries, we make it part of our mission to keep our military personnel encouraged with messages of hope and grace that can only be found in Jesus Christ alone. Click here to find out more about Bringing Christ to the Nations (The Lutheran Hour on AFN), as well as the prayer guides written by Pastor Klaus for active military personnel and their loved ones.



This Daily Devotion was originally published January 26, 2008.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 16-18    John 5:1-24

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