The Most Important Word in The Hebrew Bible...
"In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the Lord your Redeemer. (Isaiah 54:8, NIV)
The Power of God’s Hesed Love
My firstborn is already almost five… Goodness gracious. Time moves faster than it takes to devour your favorite cheat dessert.
One phrase God taught me to say to her—and to all my kids—since the day they were born is:
“There is nothing you will ever do—no mess-ups, no failures, no successes—that will earn my love. I love you no matter what you do.”
This morning, I was reminded where that phrase truly comes from. It’s important to say, but not without also disciplining my children.
Isaiah 54:8 is a battle cry—a reminder that God’s judgment and discipline are momentary, but His faithfulness is everlasting.
Yet—do we truly understand that?
Do we fully grasp what it means?
Isaiah 54 is a prophetic promise of Israel’s relief from exile—a temporary season of judgment and discipline due to their sin. But this promise doesn’t stand alone. In Isaiah 53, we see the suffering of the Servant—Jesus—the One who would take the full weight of our sin, removing the wrath we deserved completely through His work on the cross.
But after the cross—do we get it?
Do we live in the fullness of what Jesus accomplished?
One thing I love about God is that He doesn’t hide His character from us. He reveals everything we need to know about who He is. We can’t comprehend Him perfectly—because if we did, we would be God—but He gives us enough so that we are drawn to Him in faithfulness.
And not just drawn to Him, but compelled to walk in obedience.
Nazareth’s Missed Miracle—And Our Own
Today’s reading reminded me of Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, standing in Nazareth and declaring that He could do no miracles there because they refused to step into faith (Mark 6:4-6).
That reality should shake us.
The Son of God Himself was present, yet Nazareth missed out—not because He lacked power, but because they lacked belief.
If we want our homes to be unstoppable, unwavering, and full of the miraculous, we must:
Walk in obedience.
Invite in the full character of God—His discipline and His compassion.
Because discipline without compassion leads to harshness and bitterness, and compassion without discipline leads to weakness.
But God? He has perfect discipline and perfect compassion.
Every time I choose to fully invite Him into my home, I’m not just a better father, husband, brother, and friend—I’m radically transformed from the inside out.
Ultimately, as I fight to obey, I experience the fullness of joy.
What kind of grace and mercy is this? That He does this for us—not because we deserve it, but because of one of the most powerful words in the Bible (besides Jesus ☺️): hesed.
Hesed: The Covenant Love That Changes Everything
In Isaiah 54:8, the phrase "everlasting kindness" is the Hebrew word hesed (חֶסֶד).
Hesed is not just kindness—it is covenantal love, a love that is:
Unbreakable
Steadfast
Loyal beyond reason
This word is used throughout Scripture to describe:
God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 24:27)
God’s faithfulness to David (2 Samuel 7:15)
God’s mercy toward Israel, even after their rebellion (Exodus 34:6-7)
Hesed is God’s relentless love—the love that never quits, never wavers, never gives up, even when we fail.
A Hesed Kind of Love in Marriage and Life
This word reminded me of relationships, especially marriage.
I love asking this question to married couples or those in relationships:
How does love flourish? How much should each person give?
Some say, “It’s 50/50.”
Others say, “I give 70% and receive 25%.”
But the truth? Real love flourishes with hesed—giving 100% and expecting nothing in return.
That’s hard. In fact, it’s impossible without Jesus.
I won’t get this right 24/7. But as I grow and mature in Christ, He keeps giving me glimpses of what this love looks like—transforming me from the inside out.
And as my character is reshaped, I’m able to serve not just my wife, but everyone with that kind of love.
That’s what I strive for. And the only way to get there? A relationship with Jesus Christ.
Obedience is a natural response to hesed love—just like a child naturally obeys a father and mother.
(Most of the time—as long as mom and dad make it clear that nothing they do will ever earn or lose their love.)
The Never Finished Challenge – A Blessing and a Call to Action
I want to leave you with both a blessing and a challenge:
The Blessing:
May you be filled with the overwhelming, relentless, never-ending hesed love of God—the love that never leaves, never forsakes, and never stops pursuing you.
Here is what I am confident God says to you, “There is nothing you can do to earn my love. No matter what you do, I love you.”
The Challenge:
Live in this love. Refuse to let your home, your heart, or your faith be like Nazareth—where Jesus was present but not fully welcomed.
Invite Him in fully—every single day. His hesed and His discipline.
Walk in obedience. Expect the miraculous.
Because where Jesus is honored, hesed abounds. And where hesed abounds, transformation is inevitable—because His love fuels a natural motivation to obey. Yes, you will mess up, and the Holy Spirit will convict you—often through other people. Listen to that conviction, so you don’t find yourself in the same valley ten years later.
What Does Today Say About God?
Often, when I discipline my daughters, I want a quick fix—I want peace.
But when I chase peace without wisdom, I end up creating resentment and fear instead.
Yet sometimes, when I listen to the Holy Spirit, I discipline with compassion—and as a result, I see glimpses of understanding and growth in my daughters' eyes.
Then I read Scripture, and I’m reminded of the heart of God—how He does both perfectly, every single time.
Because of His hesed and His discipline, I am made new every day.
My wife and I will, Lord willing, stay married for life—but the truth is (I got this from Tim Keller), we aren’t just married to one person.
We married seven different people.
No, not literally. But as we mature in Christ, we are made new.
And Lord willing, we will be new together. Not because of our love for each other but because of His hesed love for us.
What a Father. What a Friend. What a King.
That He would give so much to a fallen, yet redeemed, man.
Thank You, Jesus.
🔥 Want to grow stronger in faith and endurance?
Join Never Finished Coaching for exclusive spiritual and mental coaching.