Lovingkindness and Life

There are certain words that are commonly found in the Bible and nowhere else.  We do not hear people in business, politics or in casual conversation use such words, nor do we see them in advertisements or on signs of protesters.  One such word is "lovingkindness" that describes the faithful love and kindness of God combined at full strength.  As if this is not a sufficient description, we can also observe a plural version of "lovingkindnesses" (which spell check flagged as incorrect!) as found in Psalm 25:6:  "Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old."  Because God is awesome and words can only begin to portray  the vastness of His love, goodness, mercy and favour, lovingkindness is a word that attempts to describe our indescribable God.

Last night I was reminded of one of those looping scripture songs that were especially popular in the 70's and 80's taken from Psalm 63:3-4:  "Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. ⁴ Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name."  The Scriptures are perfect for expressing the goodness of God and the longing of God's people to worship, extol and exalt Him.  I started thinking about how true it is God's lovingkindness is better than life and my need to appreciate God's lovingkindness more.  It is undeniable that life is good, otherwise why would anyone care to prolong their lives or live forever?  It remarkable anything could be better than life, for even Satan observed man is willing to give all he has to save his life.

The intractable problem is not one of us sinners can save ourselves, for it is as God has declared:  the soul that sins that surely die.  Because of His love for mankind created in His own image, God decided to provide a way of forgiveness, redemption and salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus explained in John 3:14-16, "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  God had been loving and kind to humanity all along because He is gracious, merciful and slow to anger, and He did everything to reveal His love through Jesus as Paul said in Romans 5:8:  "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

When your heart is filled with joy, peace and rest by faith in Jesus Christ, when all is well and life is good, remember that God's lovingkindness is better than life.  It is only due to God's love, grace and mercy we have abundant life now and forever.  Feelings are fleeting, happiness depends on what happens, yet God's lovingkindness exercised for our good is continual.  Let us be like David whose lips praised God, and while he lived He blessed God with hands lifted in His name.  Psalm 31:23-24 is a fitting exhortation for God's people in light of His life and lovingkindnesses:  "Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person. ²⁴ Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD."