Gospel Reflections #969: Stronger than a Parental Love

Psalm 27:10 ‘Even if my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.’

This verse emphasises God’s unchanging love and protection, assuring us that ‘even if we are forsaken by people (even our own parents), God will never forsake us, but will welcome us with open arms’.  

In this verse, David confesses his unwavering trust in God whilst surrounded by suffering and adversaries.

Even ‘parental love’, considered the strongest bond in this world, has its limits at times; it can be betrayed or lost.

However, God’s love is absolute, transcending even that; it gives us the assurance that, even if we find ourselves in a lonely situation, God will ‘draw us near’ and accept us.

The nuance of the original word for ‘draw’ implies not merely watching over, but welcoming us as family, protecting us and caring for us.

For those in the depths of despair, having been abandoned, this is a message of profound comfort: God becomes like a new family (a parent) to us.

David found himself in a harsh situation surrounded by enemies, yet it was precisely because of this conviction that ‘God is with him’ that he was able to encourage himself not to despair, but to ‘wait for the Lord’. 

For those of us today who feel lonely or alienated, this is God’s powerful promise of hope: ‘God will never, ever abandon you’. 

Human beings are weak and unstable, but our God is strong, kind, and pours out His unchanging love upon us.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.