stumblingtoholiness

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,

for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him who alone does great wonders,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him by understanding made the heavens,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him who spread out the earth above the waters,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him who made the great lights,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

the sun to rule over the day,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

the moon and stars to rule over the night,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

and brought Israel out from among them,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him who divided the Red Sea in two,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

and made Israel pass through the midst of it,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him who led his people through the wilderness,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

to Him who struck down great kings,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

and killed mighty kings,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

and Og, king of Bashan,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

and gave their land as a heritage,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

a heritage to Israel His servant,

for His steadfast love endures forever.

It is He who remembered us in our low estate,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

and rescued us from our foes,

for His steadfast love endures forever;

He who gives food to all flesh,

for His steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven,

for His steadfast love endures forever.

(ESV)

We read this psalm responsively in church a couple of weeks ago.  Twenty six verses proclaiming the wonder, power and glory of the Lord.  More emphatically, however, the refrain, “for his steadfast love endures forever.”   We, as sinners are constantly turning away from God.  He who became flesh, was broken and died for us, we turn away from, incapable of believing in our heart of hearts that God could truly love us.  But the fact remains, that no matter how often we turn away from Him, no matter how inconstant we are, “his steadfast love endures forever.”

God does not lie.  Over and over again, He tells us of His love for us.  Even in our waywardness, He cries “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!  How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”  (Matthew 23:37)  God longs to love us, to embrace us.  No matter how much we have sinned, He would gather us to Himself, forgiving us, if only we were willing.

As christians we know that our sins were atoned for on the cross.  Sometimes I think that we forget that God doesn’t just forgive our past sins.  When we are saved, we aren’t just forgiven the sins we have already committed.  We are still sinners in a sinful world and will sin again.  But Christ died for me, for every sin I have ever committed, and ever will.  Hopefully they get less and less as time goes by and I am drawing closer to Him and walking with Him, but even when I wander, I have only to turn to Him; I have already been forgiven.  Instead, how often do we hide from Him, believing the lies of guilt and shame, that we are not worthy.  The deceiver is ever so cunning.  A grain of truth and a pile of lies.  Of course we are not worthy.  That is the point.  Salvation is a gift bestowed upon us by the one who covers our sins, and already paid the price for us, a price we could never pay on our own.  Whether we think we were worth it or not, He did.  He paid for us.  He bought us with his suffering unto death on the cross, and will never leave us or forsake us.  Even before I was born, He knew me.  He knew me before He laid the foundations of the earth.  And He still suffered for me.  The sins I commit today are no surprise to Him.  And still He holds me in the palm of His hand.

Sometimes I think we are given the opportunity to love like this.  There are some in our lives, who no matter how much love and forgiveness we pour out to them, are so caught up in trying to hide themselves, that they cannot embrace it.  We are still sinners, so it is imperfect, and not being God salvation is not ours to give, but we still pour out love.  We wish we could open another’s eyes to the fact that they are loved, forgiven, they don’t have to do anything to earn it, it is freely offered.

But in all of scripture, God never forces Himself on us.  The whole point of placing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the the garden of Eden is that He wants us to choose Him.  And so too, we must remember that no matter how much we love someone, we cannot force them to accept our love or to choose to do what is right.  Any parent knows this.  We cannot really force our children to do anything, even if it is good for them.  Try forcing a toddler to eat something they dislike sometime.  I haven’t tried it yet, because I try not to be a glutton for punishment.  If that child really doesn’t want to eat it, and decides it is worth the battle, there is no power on heaven or earth that is going to make them gag it down.  And who would want their beloved to gag on their love?

James 1:19-20 tells us “Know this, my beloved brothers; let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”  No matter how angry we get at someone for sinning, it does not stop them sinning.  I would contend that this can also be true of love.  To be sure, our love can be a great encouragement and gift.  But we cannot make people accept it.  We cannot make them any more righteous no matter the depth of our love.  We must ultimately submit them to the Lord, and pray for His work in their hearts, all the while, resting ourselves in the assurance that “his steadfast love endures forever.”

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