“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
(Psalm 100:5, ESV)
(Psalm 100:5, ESV)
Kenny grew up in a dysfunctional household with an angry father and a resentful mother. His parents yelled at each other all the time. It was not uncommon for Kenny’s mother to threaten the children that they were going to suffer when their father came home because of some small infraction. Kenny’s father seemed to relish times of punishment, smiling while slapping a behind with a belt.
Kenny and his three siblings always felt on edge. When Kenny’s mother was moody, she would yell and lash out at little things like walking in the house on a rainy day with a little mud from cutting the grass. Kenny’s father would demand each child do their chores, even if one was sick. When Kenny’s brother had the flu and was throwing up, his father complained about the retching noises, then made the boy clean up his own mess. Kenny lived in fear of his mother’s moods and his father’s meanness.
Later in his life, Kenny came to Christ at a Billy Graham revival service. Kenny and his best friend went to the revival just to get do something different. They knew a lot of people were going there and wanted to see what it was all about. Halfway through the sermon, Kenny felt his heart warm. He felt as if the icicles around his soul were burning away. His heart was softening for the Holy Spirit. Kenny later remarked to his best friend who was also saved that night, “I never knew what unconditional love was like. I never knew God loved me. I never knew Jesus died for me. It’s nice to know I am loved that much.”
Many people around the world grow up without a personal connection with the love of God. Many see God as mostly a judge, delivering punishment for any small infraction. Some see God as a rule-maker, who expects perfection with every decision. Some have made God into a distant celestial creator who is far removed from the trials and tribulations of daily life. Even though 1 John 4:7 declares that “love is of God”, these poor souls do not understand the connection between God and love. They equate God with punishment or rules or distance, but not love.
Our scripture for today reaffirms the connection between God and love. It begins by asserting that “the Lord is good” (Psalm 100:5a). Then, it adds that God’s goodness is based on a “steadfast love that endures forever” and a “faithfulness to all generations”. God is not just a God of the Israelites but a God of all creation. God’s goodness doesn’t extend only to the chosen people. God’s goodness extends to every soul. God’s faithfulness is not directed only to the holiest. God is faithful toward all no matter what. You can trust in God’s goodness and love and grace.
Among Christians is this wrong notion that God loves us so that we can love God back. This is a type of “exchange of love” faith. What happens when things go wrong, accidents happen, sin intervenes, or problems arise? Those who have this “exchange of love” faith will give up on God. They will see God as unloving and unfair. What they do not realize is that they have God all wrong. Just because life is full of accidents and errors of judgment and mistakes does not mean God stops loving. God’s faithfulness endures. Even when sin threatens to wreck one’s relationship with God, the forgiveness that comes from Jesus Christ is ready to restore the faithful heart. John 3:16 famously claims that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life”. With belief, you will see God’s goodness and love as never before!
Sadly, some have perverted the understanding of God’s love. They have taught that God loves us so much that HE doesn’t care if we sin. We will all be saved. We will all go to heaven. God is so good that he would never condemn anyone to hell. However, these false notions skew what it means that God loves us. God doesn’t love us so that we can sin. God doesn’t love us so that we can do whatever we want with no cares in the world. God’s goodness and love and mercy are meant to lead us on the right path and away from sin. God’s grace is not meant to be a cheap band-aid to fix a sinful soul. God expects a holy response from you. God expects you to obey. God expects you to flee sinfulness. God expects you to flee toward HIS goodness and love. There will come a day of Judgment. There will come a day of reckoning for evil. There will come both Heaven and Hell. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t know goodness and love. That means that God expects goodness and love and grace and faith from us, too!
Do you know the love of God? Have you felt the warmness of love as your sins were forgiven or grace came your way? Do you know how much Jesus suffered on that cross out of love to bear your sins? A heart cannot truly be faithful without knowing personally the love of God in Jesus Christ! Think about that.
And finally, how can you express God’s love for you? Who might benefit from a graceful gift of love from you today? Let the love of Jesus bubble up through you into your world!
Kenny and his three siblings always felt on edge. When Kenny’s mother was moody, she would yell and lash out at little things like walking in the house on a rainy day with a little mud from cutting the grass. Kenny’s father would demand each child do their chores, even if one was sick. When Kenny’s brother had the flu and was throwing up, his father complained about the retching noises, then made the boy clean up his own mess. Kenny lived in fear of his mother’s moods and his father’s meanness.
Later in his life, Kenny came to Christ at a Billy Graham revival service. Kenny and his best friend went to the revival just to get do something different. They knew a lot of people were going there and wanted to see what it was all about. Halfway through the sermon, Kenny felt his heart warm. He felt as if the icicles around his soul were burning away. His heart was softening for the Holy Spirit. Kenny later remarked to his best friend who was also saved that night, “I never knew what unconditional love was like. I never knew God loved me. I never knew Jesus died for me. It’s nice to know I am loved that much.”
Many people around the world grow up without a personal connection with the love of God. Many see God as mostly a judge, delivering punishment for any small infraction. Some see God as a rule-maker, who expects perfection with every decision. Some have made God into a distant celestial creator who is far removed from the trials and tribulations of daily life. Even though 1 John 4:7 declares that “love is of God”, these poor souls do not understand the connection between God and love. They equate God with punishment or rules or distance, but not love.
Our scripture for today reaffirms the connection between God and love. It begins by asserting that “the Lord is good” (Psalm 100:5a). Then, it adds that God’s goodness is based on a “steadfast love that endures forever” and a “faithfulness to all generations”. God is not just a God of the Israelites but a God of all creation. God’s goodness doesn’t extend only to the chosen people. God’s goodness extends to every soul. God’s faithfulness is not directed only to the holiest. God is faithful toward all no matter what. You can trust in God’s goodness and love and grace.
Among Christians is this wrong notion that God loves us so that we can love God back. This is a type of “exchange of love” faith. What happens when things go wrong, accidents happen, sin intervenes, or problems arise? Those who have this “exchange of love” faith will give up on God. They will see God as unloving and unfair. What they do not realize is that they have God all wrong. Just because life is full of accidents and errors of judgment and mistakes does not mean God stops loving. God’s faithfulness endures. Even when sin threatens to wreck one’s relationship with God, the forgiveness that comes from Jesus Christ is ready to restore the faithful heart. John 3:16 famously claims that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have everlasting life”. With belief, you will see God’s goodness and love as never before!
Sadly, some have perverted the understanding of God’s love. They have taught that God loves us so much that HE doesn’t care if we sin. We will all be saved. We will all go to heaven. God is so good that he would never condemn anyone to hell. However, these false notions skew what it means that God loves us. God doesn’t love us so that we can sin. God doesn’t love us so that we can do whatever we want with no cares in the world. God’s goodness and love and mercy are meant to lead us on the right path and away from sin. God’s grace is not meant to be a cheap band-aid to fix a sinful soul. God expects a holy response from you. God expects you to obey. God expects you to flee sinfulness. God expects you to flee toward HIS goodness and love. There will come a day of Judgment. There will come a day of reckoning for evil. There will come both Heaven and Hell. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t know goodness and love. That means that God expects goodness and love and grace and faith from us, too!
Do you know the love of God? Have you felt the warmness of love as your sins were forgiven or grace came your way? Do you know how much Jesus suffered on that cross out of love to bear your sins? A heart cannot truly be faithful without knowing personally the love of God in Jesus Christ! Think about that.
And finally, how can you express God’s love for you? Who might benefit from a graceful gift of love from you today? Let the love of Jesus bubble up through you into your world!