My father’s repeated, long absences and marital unfaithfulness taught me at a young age that human love is unreliable. Then my mother’s early death taught me that even faithful human love comes to an end. Recently I’ve been reminded that health can also leave at any time. We have all been hurt, disappointed, and scared. Maybe that’s why Scripture has so much to say about how God loves. Did you know one Hebrew word for love is used 246 times in the Old Testament?!

God’s love expressed in the Hebrew word Hesed is central to the way God reveals himself to us. It is deeper and broader than any one English word so we use many words to translate it: lovingkindness, unfailing love, loyal love,
trustworthiness, devotion, mercy, faithfulness,
favor, goodness, ardent dedication based on a promise.

God uses marriage as an illustration of his pledge of faithful love. He is the Groom who vows devotion to his bride, his people. He will act with lovingkindness and mercy toward her even if she doesn’t reciprocate with loyal love. Sometimes his goodness will take the form of discipline, but he will never break his promise to her.

This word Hesed “is born from a root word that means to bow one’s head toward another and stems from a covenant relationship. I find the idea of God bending toward me in lovingkindness a precious picture. In my relationships with my children and grandchildren, I see the intimacy of inclining my head to another as a sweet form of tenderness and affection. As I rest my head on another, my heart softens with love. When I meditate on verses that point to God’s hesed toward me a similar deep closeness results.” Sylvia Schroeder, a wise, Biblical blogger (www.sylviaschroeder.com)

At the heart of God’s covenant, the Ten Commandments, God promises unfailing love for his people. In the second command, he requires an exclusive relationship with him alone based on his loyal love and kindness. No room for other gods! He lavishes his unfailing love on those who love and obey him.
“Thus, at Sinai God spells out his holy and loving character toward Israel and calls Israel to the same kind of holy living and loving loyalty toward him and toward their neighbors.” C Hassell Bullock

But even when his people turn from him, he remains faithful.
“The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love (hesed) and faithfulness.”
Exodus 34:6
This was spoken by God after his people had proven unfaithful by worshiping the calf idol. They had refused to trust his provision and rebelled against his chosen leaders.
God offers his loyal love to those who are fickle; his mercy to those who sin, his compassion to complainers, and his faithfulness to the faithless.

“In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love (hesed), please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.” Numbers 14:19
“But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in steadfast love (hesed). You did not abandon them.” Nehemiah 9:17
“I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and abounding in unfailing love (hesed). You are eager to turn back from destroying people.” Jonah 4:2

“In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while.
    But with everlasting love (hesed) I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
yet my everlasting kindness (hesed) for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:8,10

“Even when His people sin against Him and face the consequences of their sin, they may still appeal to the Lord’s hesed, as the writer of Lamentations does in the midst of the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. He casts himself on the unchanging character of God, affirming, “The hesed of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22–23).” Iain Duguid
“For if He causes grief, then He will have compassion (racham) according to His abundant lovingkindness (hesed).” (Lam 3:32)

“Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy (hesed).

You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.  Micah 7:18-19

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.
“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. . . And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
Proverbs 16:6 “through love (hesed) and mercy sin is atoned for.”

“After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”  Luke 20:22

“This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians 3:6

There is no one Greek word in the New Testament for the concept of Hesed. Several Greek words translated into English express different dimensions of God’s love – mercy, compassion, goodness, kindness, selfless love, grace, and favor. Even though words fall short of a full description of God’s love for us, we see the perfect embodiment of his Hesed in Jesus. Everything Jesus did expressed the love of God. He demonstrated in flesh and blood how God loves: merciful – proven by reaching out to the undeserving, sacrificial – proven by his willing death, never-ending – proven by his resurrection

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much,  that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  . . .  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7
Notice the words mercy, love, grace, and kindness that describe God’s feelings and actions toward us.

God is trustworthy in his lovingkindness!  Every problem, worry, loss, hurt, and fear can be brought to God.  He is full of lovingkindness.  His heart is inclined toward us.  He will not abandon us.

“I will be glad and rejoice in your lovingkindness, for you have seen my troubles, and you care about the anguish of my soul.”  Psalm 31:7

More verses to meditate on:
“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” Psalm 143:8
“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.”  Exodus 15:13
“Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.”  Deuteronomy 7:9
“and he prayed, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.” 1 Kings 8:23
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”  Psalm 23:6
“…unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.”  Psalm 32:10
“For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Psalm 57:10
“O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.”  Psalm 59:17
“O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.”  Pslam 86:5
“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”  Psalm 90:14
“For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.”  Pslam 103:11
“Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.”  Psalm 119:76
“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.”  Pslam 143:8