"The Love of the Lord Will Stand"

The Sunday, November 18 Gospel reading discussed the end of times, when everything physical would pass away out of being. A line near the end struck me most significantly:

"...[the] earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

That is, God is eternal, and no matter what happens, God's power, glory, and love will stand firm forever.

In keeping with this notion, my choir sang "Though the Mountains May Fall" for our Recessional hymn.

Here is the refrain and two of the verses from this upbeat, inspirational song:

Though the mountains may fall
And the hills turn to dust
The love of the Lord will stand
As a shelter for all
Who will call on His name
Sing the praise and the glory of God

Could the Lord ever leave you?
Could the Lord forget His love?
Though a mother forsake her child
He will not abandon you

Should you turn and forsake Him
He will gently call your name
Should you wander away from Him
He will always take you back


This song speaks to not only the end of life on Earth, but to times when we feel as though it is the end of the world. We have all experienced difficulties and heartaches in which we felt hopeless, sad, and alone. This sense of loss and despondence can be very overwhelming. However, it is helpful to remember that we are never alone. God is always with us, loving us, watching over us, listening to us, and helping us. No matter what losses we encounter, whether social, personal, physical, financial, or anything else, God and His love always remain. God never wavers. He is always there.

Similarly, sometimes we feel removed from God due to sin and the negative feelings that accompany it. We may experience guilt, shame, sorrow, or anger, and these emotions can sometimes create a feeling of distance between ourselves and God. Even so, to repeat, God is always there. God never pulls away from us; it is only we who sometimes pull away from Him. If we feel we have created distance between ourselves and God, this distance is not irreparable. We can always work to strengthen our relationship with God and further develop our closeness to Him through self-examination and prayer.

Prayer is an incredibly powerful thing. Prayer can help us to make sense of and meaningfully deal with our negative experiences. Also, prayer is of significant benefit in positive times, too, as we are called to offer God our thanks and praise for the many gifts He gives us.

The bottom line is that no matter what is going on in our lives, whether good or bad, we are called to remember that God's love for us is eternal, unconditional, and all-consuming. While worldly things may come and go, God will never leave us. Let us strive to remember this truth, and find comfort and joy in it in every stage of our journeys through life.

May God bless you, today and always!

Karen