December 12

Put your hope in the Lord, for the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Psalm 130:7

Compromise is standard today, and most of us will admit to a certain synicism. The value of our dollars diminishes daily; marriages fail even in the church; businesses are here today and gone tomorrow; promises are not kept; nothing seems stable. Even contracts have fine print that we must read carefully, allowing parties an "out" if things do not go well. So is there anything we can count on? Absolutely!

The Christmas baby who reveals to us a God whose redemption and love we can trust! He's the One we can count on!

The psalmist tells us of unfailing love and absoluite redemption, with no small print for a way out! We see so much fail--even love. Can God's love outlast all that challenges it in our current world? We know how hard we try to be all we know is right and good, and we question that God would even want to redeem the mess we make.

Jesus came to assure us there's no mess too great for him to redeem, no sin greater than his unfailing love! "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends," he promised. Unfailing love and absolute redemption! Count on it!

Father, we understand neither unfailing love nor redemption, but we thank you that Jesus has brought both to us. Amen.