I
AM AMAZED BY GOD’S LOVE FOR ME!
Psalm
139:17-22
How
precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How
vast is the sum of them!
If
I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I
awake, and I am still with you.
Oh
that you would slay the wicked, O God!
O
men of blood, depart from me!
They
speak against you with malicious intent;
your
enemies take your name in vain.
Do
I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
And
do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
I
hate them with complete hatred;
I
count them my enemies.
As
David has reviewed the omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence of God, he is
overwhelmed by these truths. The boundlessness of God’s thoughts and knowledge
not only cannot be understood, but they cannot possibly be measured by finite
man. The fact that God would entertain thoughts of a mere man is, therefore,
surprising - and the reality that this knowledge does not cause God to seek
distance from that man is even more astounding! When David awakes, the infinite
God of the universe is still close to him.
When
I reflect on these truths, I, too, am surprised. Why would God have time for
me? I am so small and inconsequential, compared to the whole world. People are
confronted with problems so much bigger that mine; others seem to have a much
greater influence in the world, but God chooses to care for me! And yet it is
no problem for God to care for all others at the same time. His care for me is
effortless, complete, and particular!
When
I wake, I am still with God! We can be abandoned by family, friends, even by brothers
and sisters in Christ, but God will never do that! Can you and I not be humbled
and amazed by these truths? Since these things are true, then, what kind of lives
should we lead? The answer is obvious! We should have incredible peace and
trust within, and we should be bearers of the good news! How can we keep this
wonderful truth to ourselves? How can it not affect our families, jobs,
churches, in fact, all of our relationships? Sadly, we know it often doesn’t, and
then the answer is easy: we are living as if it isn’t true!
David’s
next reaction seems to be sudden and extreme. There is a sense that he wants to
distance himself from all those who do not love and worship God the way they
should. I believe that he wants to make sure that his own reactions are right
and that in no way will he embrace the ungodly reactions of those who hate God.
God hates evil and David hates it, too. Nor will
he be part of any action that slanders the name of God.
David
lived in the midst of God’s enemies, but he was not afraid to be counted their
enemy or make them his enemies, if it meant honoring the God he loved. He
certainly did not feel superior to them; he had simply chosen whose side he was
on.
Are
we ready to denounce actions that dishonor God, as David was? Are we willing to be enemies of those who are
enemies of God? What we know about God must make a difference in the way we conduct
our lives and, consequently, will impact the kind of relationships we have with
others. Jesus stated this fact very clearly:
John
15:18-20
“If
the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were
of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of
the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his
master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my
word, they will also keep yours.
Persecution,
division, hatred and difficulties are to be expected toward us from all those who
do not love Christ. They hated Jesus, Who never did anything wrong. He only
proclaimed truth and exposed error!
May
our lives show that we are more fearful to dishonor God, Who loves us and cares
for us perfectly, than to dishonor those men who are God’s enemies!
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