God's Lovingkindness

"Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; ²⁴ but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD."

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Last night during our family devotions we read through this passage.  What a wonderful reminder it is of the loving, gracious, and holy character of God.  How easy it is for our ideas of God to be warped by the opinions of those who do not know Him or through our own prejudice!  People's ideas of God range from imaginary to real, a benevolent "Santa Claus" or Genie contrasted with the fire-breathing destroyer and hater of men.  To magnify a single aspect of God's character at the expense of ignoring another contorts our perception of God.

In the Jeremiah passage, God entreats the wise not to glory in his wisdom, nor the mighty man in his might, or the rich man in his riches.  Instead, whoever who glories should glory in the fact he understands and knows God.  This is a wonderful truth, that God has revealed Himself to man primarily through His Word and the person of Jesus Christ.  Man can understand and know His Creator in a personal way, even as a man knows a close friend.  The character of God is revealed through His righteous law, perfect justice, and gracious lovingkindness.  The automatic spell-checker does not believe that "lovingkindness" is a real word, and most people have no idea of the incredible lovingkindness of God.

For many of those who do believe and affirm there is a "God," He is a strictly impersonal, judgmental, passive, and potentially volatile god.  They would nod their heads if I described Him as just and righteous.  But does He exercise lovingkindness and actually delight in it?  The transliteration of this Hebrew word is "hesed," meaning "kindness, favour, mercy, pity."  God is a loving, gracious God.  He is loving to punish wickedness, and His lovingkindness is evident through His correction, grace, and mercy towards us.  Romans 5:8 reads, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

This morning I read two incredible messages by G. Campbell Morgan titled "The Sifting of Peter" and "The Turning Again of Peter" (The Westminster Pulpit, Vol. 1, Chapters 15 & 16).  He details how Peter denied Jesus after boasting he would not.  Instead of being angry or offended at Peter upon meeting with him again, Jesus was compassionate and filled with love.  Peter was deeply ashamed because of his failure and cried bitterly.  He was broken over the fact he had denied Christ on the night He was betrayed in public, and for the fact that Jesus knew it.  Jesus did not confront Peter as many of us would have if we had been betrayed.  Jesus did not say, "I told you so," glare at Peter, or make cynical comments aimed at belittling him in front of others.  He asked Peter a simple, direct question:  "Do you love me?"  The fact that Jesus loved Peter was undeniable.  Jesus had chosen, called, and taught Peter, and even saved him from drowning.  Jesus had washed Peter's feet, showed His undying love through the cross, and had risen from the dead.  At that moment Jesus had just fed Peter and the disciples breakfast.  He asked Peter, "Do you love me?"

Jesus asks you today:  "Do you love me?"  Instead of "keeping us in line" through threats of judgment or the risk of our sin being found out by others, it is Christ's lovingkindness which draws us to repentance.  Jeremiah 31:3 shows us clearly the heart of God towards all flesh:  "The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."  It should not be the threat of God's wrath that keeps us from sin, but the love of Christ.  When we struggle between right and wrong Jesus Himself stands with us, places His arm around our shoulders, looks us in the eyes (and we cannot hold that penetrating gaze of compassion, being ashamed of our sin and continual failure), and says with love:  "Do you love me?"  What a weighty question to which everyone must respond.  Our words carry little weight:  it is our life that will provide our answer.

Perhaps your dad related to you by fear, an imposing figure of terror or violence.  Maybe you have suffered much through men who abused their authority or position.  You could be deeply wounded by a pastor or a priest who claimed to be a man of God!  But I implore you in the name of Jesus, never allow the sins of men to poison your perceptions of God.  Go to scripture and read of this God, the Creator of All Things, the One who delights in exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness.  Instead of trying to balance your beliefs through the opinions of others or negative experiences, seek the truth from the Source.  Forget all your bias, admit your ignorance, and seek God with your whole heart.  You will see that He created and knows you, and He desires to be understood and known by you.

I close with the words of Psalm 103:1-18.  Read and believe, if you dare!  "Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! ² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: ³ who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, ⁴ who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, ⁵ who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. ⁶ The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. ⁷ He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. ⁸ The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. ⁹ He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. ¹⁴ For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. ¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. ¹⁶ For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. ¹⁷ But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children, ¹⁸ to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them."