Many things in life bring immense enjoyment. Eating a hearty meal; watching a sunrise; laughing with friends; going on holiday; the love of a spouse. God created us to enjoy good things and to be thankful to him for them.

However, in this world such experiences have a shelf life. As the old proverb says: “All good things must come to an end”. There is a cold rationality to this, and it is one that drives different people to approach life in different ways. For some, it motivates the relentless pursuit of pleasure. No sooner has one thing ended than they are off to the next thing. For others, it motivates the opposite. The sorrow of losing something enjoyable can be avoided if we don’t attach ourselves to it in the first place.

The fading nature of life in this world means we will always be prone to hunger. Nothing provides lasting satisfaction because nothing lasts.

But what if there was something that endured forever and could sustain us endlessly? How radically would that reshape our pursuits, our passions, our posture towards life?

Psalm 118 insists that God’s love is where we must turn to for lasting satisfaction. The constant repetition that “God’s love endures forever” emphasises that this is more than a simple fact. It is what gives all of life its rhythm, meaning and purpose. His mercies are new every morning. Like a ship returning to its home port, God’s love needs to be our safe haven. We ought to impress this truth on our hearts and minds daily and never drift from its mooring.

This is especially true when the things of the world turn on us. The Psalmist’s recognition of God’s love did not stem from an endless experience of happiness in the world. He didn’t question the integrity of God’s love on account of his worldly suffering. On the contrary, when hard pressed (118:3) he turned to the rock of his salvation (118:14) and found strength and security.

Too often we bind the goodness of God with our experience in this world. When things are good, God is good; when they are not, he becomes questionable. We may not ascent to a prosperity gospel rationally, but often we subscribe to it experientially.

In sun or storm, God’s love never ends. The momentary joys and the momentary afflictions of this world are best experienced on the bedrock knowledge of his everlasting love for us. In Christ, the eternal certainty of that love is shown. Whether it’s his delicate care of our souls, his atoning death for our sin, his wise nurturing of our discipline, his illuminating light to our future, or the unperishing glory of his resurrection body, at every point God’s love in Christ is irrefutable, unsurpassable, immeasurable and unending.

What else can we do but rest in this perfect comfort and give thanks for his unending grace?