A Lasting Love

A Lifelong Love
Psalm 22:9-18

"You had my mother give birth to me. You made me trust you while I was just a baby. I have leaned on you since the day I was born; you have been my God since my mother gave me birth. So don't be far away from me. Now trouble is near, and there is no one to help." (Psalm 22:9-11)

This seems to harken to Matthew 18:3 that we must become like little children in order to enter the Kingdom of God. Children are amazing in their complete love and trust and acceptance of God's goodness. While it is true that we need to keep spiritually maturing and putting 'childish things behind us,' it is also true that we need a childlike heart that so fully depends on God.

I personally believe that all children sense God's presence in a way, although they may not put it into words or express it that way. Perhaps I should speak from my own experience. I know that as a child I felt very close to God. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed God had always been with me and that I needed God for everything. As we grow, we fool ourselves into believing that 'we can handle it.' And it somehow seems (as the Psalmist describes) that we wait until times of trouble that we turn to God once again as a child... crying out for help to the loving God who has always been there for us.

A Rich Love
Proverbs 8:12-21

"What I give is better than the finest gold, better than the purest silver." (Proverbs 8:19)

Again, as money is such a touchy subject in recent days, it's hard to think about the reality of this verse... and how it affects so many people who are very seriously in need of 'gold' and 'silver.' But, it's interesting to reread this verse, and know that what the Psalmist gives is better than the 'finest' gold and 'purest' silver. The writer recognizes that Our Lord wants to provide for basic needs... through the church, through volunteers, through organizations, through employment services, through food banks, through the Pslamist himself. Still, these are not the greatest things. In Matthew 6:19, we are remember that these 'treasures' are the kind that moth and rust can destroy. Still better to fix our eyes upon the lasting treasures given to us through the truly rich love that God has offered us in Jesus' ultimate loving sacrifice which offers us eternal salvation from our sins.

A Forgiving Love
Matthew 26:57-75

"And Peter remembered what Jesus had told him. 'Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me.' Then Peter went outside and cried painfully." (Matthew 26:75)

This betrayal must've been so painful for both Peter and Jesus (who knew what was about to take place). I'm quite fortunate in that I can't think of a similar example in my life. Still, I think in little things we are able to see how greatly we fear such a painful mistep by a close friend. We carefully hide ourselves before we build enough trust with someone, and then the moment that they disclose some information that we deemed private or say something hurtful, etc., we retreat and distance ourselves a bit more.

What did Jesus do? Jesus knew that Peter would betray him, but Jesus loved him. Jesus washed Peter's feet... and while I have always seen this as purely a symbol of servanthood, I have recently grown to more deeply appreciate its value as an act of cleansing and forgiveness of sins. Jesus, help me to love in this way... with such a great gorgiving love that it covers all of the pain caused by small or great sins.