Her wrist showed markings resembling that of barbed wire. Embedded in the soundwave tattoo lines was the recorded voice of her son declaring, “I love you.” With so many tattoos and so many meanings, the sentimental side of me liked—LOVED—the thought. Every twist of the wrist, every glance at the ink, a sweet reminder of his 4-year-old voice announcing his untainted love for his mama.
And I’m reminded of another wrist. One Whose outstretched arms took a burden we couldn’t pay to give us a life we didn’t deserve (Romans 5:8). Nails that engraved your name—my name—on the palms of His hands.
With every turn of His wrist, He’s reminded of His love for you displayed on a rugged wooden cross more than 2000 years ago. While her tattoo captures a moment in time, His scars frame a moment in time for all of time. Unlike her tattoo that will fade, His love for you will never fade, dwindle, or cease to exist. It is timeless. Unmatchless. Priceless.
Life’s whirlwind often leaves us yearning for a sanctuary where our hearts can find peace amidst chaos. As Christians, we turn to a source of eternal reassurance—resting in God’s love, an infinite wellspring that never runs dry. Resting requires a deliberate surrender to the Father’s embrace, allowing His love to envelop us entirely and bring serenity to our souls.
For years, even as a believer, I wrestled with the notion of God as a loving Father. It’s a struggle familiar to many: how do we rest in an affection so profound when our earthly experiences have sculpted a far different image of love? For me, it took time, trials, and tears to see beyond my misconceptions and embrace the true essence of His love, care, understanding, and readiness to forgive.
On this “day of love,” I pray these verses remind you of the greatest love of all. A love that stepped down from heaven to reconcile a world in need. A love that is unwavering, unfailing, unending, unshakable, and unconditional.
“Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” – Isaiah 49:16
Imagine being held so dear to God that you are etched onto His very being—His hands, His feet, His side. This is the intimacy we’re called to experience—to dwell in the unwavering warmth of His eternal care.
“…His banner over me was love.” – Song of Songs 2:4
Resting under the banner of God’s love transforms our perspective of life’s challenges. This banner is not a mere cloth flapping in the wind but a mighty proclamation of His unending love and protection over us. Just as a banner represents identity and belonging, so does God’s love, which provides us with a sense of security and worth. In every moment of doubt or weakness, we can look up and be reminded that we are under His encompassing grace—an unfailing declaration of His commitment to us, His children.
“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” – Psalm 36:7
His love is a shelter, an unshakable refuge where we can rest, knowing we’re protected from life’s upheavals. It’s a love that covers us, surrounds us, and comforts us. Even when we feel overwhelmed or alone, we can find solace in His everlasting embrace. Nothing can separate us from the depths of His love—not our past mistakes, not our current struggles, not even the uncertainties of tomorrow.
“The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness, I have drawn you.'” – Jeremiah 31:3
It’s not a love born of our doing or deserve, but a divine love that existed before time and continues evermore, reaching out to draw us closer. In a world that often measures love by performance, God’s love is unconditional. It exceeds our human understanding and surpasses all other loves. It is the foundation of all existence, the essence of who He is.
Through these passages and our narratives, we learn that resting in God’s love isn’t about passive inactivity. It’s an active trust that chooses to believe, even when our hearts are unsure. It’s a faith that acknowledges no hardship, fear, or failure can sever the love our Creator has for us:
“…neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39
In the embrace of such vast, unconditional love, we can lay down our burdens, silence the clamor of our doubts, and bask in the beauty of His peace. For in His love, there is restoration, renewal, and a resounding joy that echoes, “You are mine, and you are beloved.”
As we look to the heavens and life’s horizons, may we always remember the love that calls us to rest, to savor each breath, knowing we are valued beyond measure:
“For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;” – Psalm 103:11
This profound awareness that we are held in the palm of our Creator can inspire us to live with greater purpose and courage. Just as the Psalmist declares in Psalm 139:9-10, “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me,” we are never beyond the reach of God’s guiding hand. No matter the storms we face or the valleys we walk through, an enduring promise holds us steady—the promise of a love so deep and wide that it can guide us through every trial and lift us to the mountaintops of triumph.
May your heart find the rhythm of His grace, may your spirit dance in the freedom of His promises, and may you rest deeply in the knowledge that you are cradled in God’s unfailing love. It is there, in the quiet, in the surrender, that we truly find rest for our souls.
- See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49:16
- His banner over me is love. Song of Songs 2:4
- How priceless is your unfailing love! Psalm 36:7
- Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. Psalm 36:5-6
- He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
- I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. Jeremiah 31:3
- How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1
- Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death…Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. Song of Songs 8:6-7
- Love never fails… 1 Corinthians 13:8
- “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” John 10:10-11
- For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
- Christ’s love compels us … 2 Corinthians 5:14
- For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so GREAT is His love for you! Psalm 103:11
I feel greatly honored to be reminded about God’s unfailing love for me. His unconditional love for me puts me on a level far beyond the enemy’s reach,for nothing is this life or in the life to come can separate me from the love of God.