“God’s Unconditional Love and a Much-Needed Warning”
“NLT Psalm 85:1 For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah. LORD, you poured out blessings on your land! You restored the fortunes of Israel. 2 You forgave the guilt of your people– yes, you covered all their sins. Interlude 3 You held back your fury. You kept back your blazing anger. 4 Now restore us again, O God of our salvation. Put aside your anger against us once more. 5 Will you be angry with us always? Will you prolong your wrath to all generations? 6 Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you? 7 Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. 8 I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. 9 Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory. 10 Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! 11 Truth springs up from the earth, and righteousness smiles down from heaven. 12 Yes, the LORD pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest. 13 Righteousness goes as a herald before him, preparing the way for his steps.”
I was feeling more than a little down about how little I’ve loved Jesus or people this morning. Indeed, I was feeling that I had not served Jesus or people at all.
I asked God for a Scripture to lift my sagging heart. The Bible “just happened” to be open at Psalm 85. My eyes fell upon vs. 7: “Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.”
I thought that “unfailing love” sounded pretty good, but then I said to myself, “But what about all the evil I’ve done in my lifetime, as well as the good I have not done?” So, I decided to go back and read the entire psalm, to see what else it might have to say. I’m glad that I did!
Vs. 2 was especially sweet. “You forgave the guilt of your people– yes, you covered all their sins.” I looked at this in Hebrew, and the word “all” actually means ALL!
Now, we have to be careful. The last part of vs. 8 sounds a warning note. God’s forgiven people (Israel, the Church, this believer) are warned not to return to their/our/my foolish ways. God’s love can and does forgive and cover all our wrong-doings. However, God’s love is not an excuse for continuing in our wrong-doing ways.
Someone has put it this way: God loves us just as we are, but God loves us too much to leave us just as we are. Yes!
Oh, God, thanks for the loving affirmation, but also for the loving warning! Both are needed, and both are good!
POSTSCRIPT: Right after posting this, I turned on K-Love Radio, and the Song “Live Like You’re Loved” came on. Yes, indeed!
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