Next Level Love
We are quite familiar with some reminders about God's love found in Scripture. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…” (John 3:16); “Neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord “ (Romans 8:39); “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10). All over the Bible we find reminders that God loves us!
Last week I stumbled upon a passage that spoke volumes to me at the time. When I say “stumbled upon”… it’s not like I found it randomly walking through the woods! I was looking for another verse, thinking it was in this particular chapter but it wasn’t and to my surprise (don’t know why we are ever surprised by Gods serendipitous ways) it encouraged my heart at a time and in a way I didn’t expect.
That passage was Psalm 18:16-19. It was written by David during one of his many wilderness scramblings while running from a murderous, jealously insane King Saul. It reads this way:
“He reached down from on high, and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”
God's rescue and care for David, and us, is indeed amazing. He delivers from things too powerful for us, and rescues from deep waters. But what really hit me between the eyes was the very last phrase, “he rescued me because he delighted in me”. Can it be? Does God delight in US? This is, in my mind, a different level altogether. That he takes delight in us? Wow. The way I sometimes trust so little and fail to rest in his arms the way I ought to? I often think that maybe he’s rather frustrated with me… but knowing that he delights in me? That strengthens my faith! I needed to hear that that particular day…and maybe you need to hear it too. David needed that shot in the arm and so records it for himself and for us.
In the brief prophecy of Zephaniah we find these words:
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, he will rejoice over you with singing.”
There it is again. Our God delights in us!
Rest in that today….
Last week I stumbled upon a passage that spoke volumes to me at the time. When I say “stumbled upon”… it’s not like I found it randomly walking through the woods! I was looking for another verse, thinking it was in this particular chapter but it wasn’t and to my surprise (don’t know why we are ever surprised by Gods serendipitous ways) it encouraged my heart at a time and in a way I didn’t expect.
That passage was Psalm 18:16-19. It was written by David during one of his many wilderness scramblings while running from a murderous, jealously insane King Saul. It reads this way:
“He reached down from on high, and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”
God's rescue and care for David, and us, is indeed amazing. He delivers from things too powerful for us, and rescues from deep waters. But what really hit me between the eyes was the very last phrase, “he rescued me because he delighted in me”. Can it be? Does God delight in US? This is, in my mind, a different level altogether. That he takes delight in us? Wow. The way I sometimes trust so little and fail to rest in his arms the way I ought to? I often think that maybe he’s rather frustrated with me… but knowing that he delights in me? That strengthens my faith! I needed to hear that that particular day…and maybe you need to hear it too. David needed that shot in the arm and so records it for himself and for us.
In the brief prophecy of Zephaniah we find these words:
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, he will rejoice over you with singing.”
There it is again. Our God delights in us!
Rest in that today….
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