Monday, August 10, 2020
God’s Love is Mercy and Justice
We have recently pondered God’s love as a two-edged sword that grants both mercy and justice. We have reminded ourselves that God’s love is ample and healing. God’s love sets aright all that has hindered us. God’s love nourishes us on our journey. God’s love guides and teaches us. God’s love is ever-present, even when we believe that we are alone. Today we continue to reflect on the double edge of God’s love as we linger for a time with Psalm 36.
Sin directs the heart of the wicked; their eyes are closed to the fear of God.
Jesus gives us a new understanding of “fearing the Lord”. The Old Testament writer stands in awe of God’s power and love for we have witnessed how this love is both compassionate and just.
The wicked live with the delusion their guilt will; not be known and hated.
Jesus reminds us that there is no secret place we can hide that we are not seen by God. He tells us that all will be revealed and he encourages us to share our worries and woes with him so that he might heal us and lift the load that weighs us down.
Lord, your love reaches to the heaven; your fidelity, to the clouds. Your justice is like the mountains; your judgments, like the mighty deep; all living creatures you sustain, Lord.
God’s love is faithful; it reaches to the clouds. God’s love is justice; it is as firm as the highest peaks. God’s love is deep; it pervades the universe.
How precious is your love, O God! We take refuge in the shadow of your wings. We feast on the rich food of your house; from your delightful stream you give us drink.
God’s love is outweighed by nothing and no one. There is no better place to take shelter from the tempest of life. There is no better food to nourish us. There is no better water than the Living Water of God.
For with you is the fountain of life, and in your light we see light.
Jesus comes to fill the darkness with the light of God’s love. Jesus tells us that he is The Word, the two-edged sword of God that cleaves and which we are to render to him. Jesus also tells us that he comes to set the world afire with God’s call to love even our enemies.
Keep on loving those who know you, doing justice for upright hearts. Let the foot of the proud not crush me nor the hand of the wicked cast me out.
God’s love is the two-edged sword: it grants both mercy and justice. It divides marrow from bone and renders holy God’s faithful. t pries pride from the darkest of places and heals cold hearts with its cauterizing heat.
See how the evil-doers fall; flung down, they never rise.
God’s love calls us to intercede for our enemies so that we might enter into the healing power of forgiveness.
The prophet Micah instructs us: Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. (Micah 6:8) We can have no better reminder than this Psalm that God’s love is both merciful and just.
Let us take this time today to reflect on the healing, nourishing, guiding, two-edged sword of God’s Word.
A re-post from August 17, 2013.
Image from: http://thevoiceconference.org/staff-blog/2017/02/04/act-love-walk/
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