Living in the Spirit
July 18, 2018
Scripture Reading: Psalm 89:20-37
[David] shall cry to me, “You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation!”
I will make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
and my covenant with him will stand firm.
I will establish his line forever,
and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
If his children forsake my law
and do not walk according to my ordinances,
if they violate my statutes
and do not keep my commandments,
then I will punish their transgression with the rod
and their iniquity with scourges;
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
or be false to my faithfulness. –Psalm 89:20-37
God’s promise of eternal love and faithfulness is non-negotiable. Even within the fullness of such unconditional love, God allows us to face the consequence of our own actions. Our learning to make right decisions is necessary for the full fruition of a world ruled by love because love is not love if it is not our choice. God invests much in helping us understand what works and what does not work as we learn to choose love. God sets forth commandments that stand the test of time; sends teachers and prophets, to help interpret those commandments for the times in which we live; sent Jesus to be our Christ, our Redeemer, our model for living; and touches us each with the power, guidance, and advocacy of the Holy Spirit.
God does not impede progress. Indeed, I think God expects us to grow and develop using all the gifts provided to advance our creative abilities and particularly our ability to love. After all, we are created in the image of Love. At first evaluation, I am sure the rescuers in Thailand recently thought rescue of the soccer players in the cave was impossible but with the full force of Love within them, they did it anyway.
While David was all too human as we all are, he lived fully into the possibilities of God’s design of a world ruled by love becoming a reality. As crazy at times as our world may seem, we must never forget that is our vision also.
Prayer: “You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!” Thank you, Lord. Amen.