I don’t know what it is about my new hat, but man do I feel fancy wearing it.
I bought this hat (not before asking my mother and friends for style approval) on a whim while roaming around Target last Wednesday (even with a prepared, short grocery list, I still managed to find my way to the clothing and hat section). But the coolest thing ever happened when I first wore the hat in public- the hat made me feel cooler than I truly was or ever would be.
I then pronounced the hat my “adulthood” hat.
The hat made me feel like the college graduate I now was. The hat made me feel confident and proud to be me, and I hadn’t felt that way in a long long while.
Okay, now hold on with me through this quick side trip- we’ll get back to the adulthood hat I promise.
In steps the beautiful word, Hesed→ faithfullness, goodness, kindness, loyalty, mercy; loyal love; a steadfast love; an active, committed, enduring love.
Hesed, the Hebrew word for steadfast love, but as you can see, this word holds more than just that one meaning. It means loyal, committed, active, enduring love.
| Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! | Psalm 107
But all those words barely scrape the surface of the truth of our Father’s love for His children.
Gosh, I am still working to wrap my head around this truth- that our God, our Father, not only loves us, but He has a steadfast love for His children. A love that is loyal. A love that is active, enduring, and faithful. A love that is committed no matter what the storm, no matter what the sin, no matter what we say or do.
Although the LORD requires faith and obedience from His people, He knows we are but dust and prone to wander, every one of us. So, He made a way… Like Moses, The LORD interceded for the rebellious people. For ‘we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf.’ | Hebrews 6:19-20 | He gives, and becomes, another chance for us. Jesus embodies hesed. We know hesed because of Jesus.
Steadfast Love by Lauren Chandler
Our God has made a way for us with His steadfast love, His hesed, by the giving of His Son for the forgiveness of our sins.
Now, if that doesn’t blow your mind, then I don’t know what will.
And now we are back to the adulthood hat.
Yes, this hat makes me feel confident and proud of who I am, but once I read these words from Lauren Chandler, I dropped that hat to the floor.
Because nothing, nothing, gives me more confidence and more stability then knowing and learning and coming to an understanding of the steadfast love of my Father.
For the steadfast love of my Lord- the active, enduring, committed and loyal love of my Father will weather any storm. It will anchor me in and through every hurricane, any tear-filled evening, or blow of crushing words.
What we choose to use as our anchor determines how well we will weather the seasons of life.
So even though my fancy-schmancy hat gives me a heap load of confidence, that thing will blow right out of my hand the minute the crazy storms of my life pick up. And that is where the steadfast love of God comes in, anchoring me for every drop of rain and gust of wind.
So grab His hesed and drop into your calm, choppy or maybe even tumultuous waters of your life, and steady yourself for the opposing current- cause it’s coming, but man is Our God stronger.
See you soon,
Stephanie Lynn
gwenn | lynn 