Part 7- Our Roof, God’s Covering

Married for 70 years, a husband and wife sit on a park bench holding hands. As the birds chirp and the young kids laugh and run, the older couple sits in silence, communicating their love through abiding in each other's presence.  There is something magical about seeing an older couple holding hands.  Words cannot begin to describe the enduring love and commitment their relationship represents. An intimate knowing of one another came from the seasons of hardships, triumphs, and sorrows that have tested and strengthened the bonds of their love. This type of love points to the relationship we can have with God.

We have come to the final aspect of the initial building of our home with God. We have built our foundation that grounds us in Jesus’ love and sacrifice through committing our lives to God. Then we continuously build the framework of our relationship with him through tearing down old thought patterns and learning the truth of His word, applying it to our daily lives. Lastly, we come to the roof, God’s covering of his love to help us persevere to the end.

Hesed is a Hebrew word that describes this type of love that helps us persevere. Hesed means a deep love that is not just emotion but an active love. This love acts towards another in faithfulness, steadfastness, mercy, kindness, and loyalty.  Hesed is a word that describes a characteristic of God’s nature. God demonstrates this love to His people, especially when God remains faithful and merciful even when His people are not. God desires for us to experience His hesed. However, when we face difficulties in our lives, our faith in God’s love for us is tested.

In Lamentations 3, the writer speaks of how he is struggling at the hand of God, “He has filled me with bitterness...I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.”… But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end… great is your faithfulness.’…though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart.” (Lam 3:15,17-18,21-23,32-33)

In this passage, we see the significant struggle the writer is going through. They are at the point where they want to give up. Yet it was when they fixed their eyes on God and remembered who he is that their hope was renewed. “But this I call to mind… the steadfast love of the Lord.” The word steadfast love is hesed. In our struggles in our lives, it is easy to become discouraged and lose hope. What helps us to continue enduring in hope is remembering God’s love. Even when we feel like giving up, God’s hesed, his never-ending love, actively pursues us. His steadfast love is like a covering, a roof, over us that sustains, protects, and comforts our hearts, even in the darkest times.

One of God’s names is Jehovah Nissi, the LORD is my banner. A banner is a focal point of identity. Banners remind us of who we are, and in many cases, what we are fighting for. The name Jehovah Nissi was first proclaimed in Exodus 17 after Moses and Joshua battled the Amalekites. When Moses held up his staff, the Israelites were strengthened and were led to victory by God’s grace. The name Jehovah Nissi signifies that God is the one who fights for His people and gives them victory.

In the battles of our lives, when circumstances become overwhelming, even to the point of retreat, we can recall who God is and who we are. In Song of Songs 2:4, it says that “His banner over me is love.” When we are in the thick of it, we can look to the banner of hesed that God has put over us, like a covering: we are loved with an unconditional, steadfast, merciful, never-ending love. Even in hard times or when we are unfaithful, God covers us with his love. God is our source of encouragement, hope, and victory in times of struggle. When we face challenging times, we can look to God as our banner, trusting that He is fighting for us.

The ultimate banner that God raised on our behalf was that of Jesus on the cross. “It was for this very reason I came to this hour.…And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:27,32 NIV) When Jesus died on the cross, this was the ultimate hesed banner for us. The love of His sacrifice is the ultimate flag of demonstrating that God is fighting on our behalf - even sacrificing his own life. This act of love is the focal point for who we are and what we are striving for.

So what does all this mean for us? We look to Jehovah Nissi- The Lord as our banner, to remind us daily in the Christian life that we are loved in an unconditional, active, self-sacrificial way. We covered, like a protective roof, knowing that a loving God fights our battles and has our best interests in mind, even when we cannot see what is ahead.

In our remembering of this love, we can be filled with hope when we focus on the banner of God’s love. “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1b-3 NIV)

Just as the older couple abides in love with one another, we can persevere through this life when we abide in God’s hesed for us. In the Bible study portion, we will learn what it means to abide in God’s love.