HomeToday I read Psalms 108-112
A few verses in Psalms 110 and 111 gave me pause. You will have to read it for yourself ( Psalm 110 and Psalm 111).
I guess what really hits me is that we (the collective American we) get all wrapped up in the fact that the Lord is Love. Yes, the Lord is Love. But if we stop there, then we are in danger of leaving that at our definition of Love which is often more fickle and based on feelings. The Lord is Love and the Lord is many other things like Just, Pure, Holy, Perfect. Without these and other characteristics and attributes, then we can’t understand or even fathom who He is or what He does, especially if we consider ourselves pretty good and not the sinful wretches that we are. (one of my favorite shirts is the one that says “I am the wretch that song talked about”.
Look at verses 110:5-7. God has wrath in store for the world, the nations, the kings, the people. Not because He is cruel, but because He is perfect, we are evil and we have gone against Him, and in face, rejected Him at every turn (we is the collective we of the people of the earth, some people are redeemed and at peace with God and will enter eternity while still experiencing some of the earthly wrath here that the nations are subject too, subject for another day).
Psalm 111 is titled Great are the Lord’s works. Yes, great they are. His redemption of Israel from Egypt (the time of Moses). God pretty much destroyed Egypt, or rather, it’s military and king at that time. We reading Exodus say Yay! for the Israelites, but how do we feel about the plight of the Egyptians. Likewise, other nations will be subject to destruction and shattering. 111:9 says that God sent redemption to His people; He has commanded his covenant forever. He gave grace first. People miss that and screw everything up. God didn’t say “Do what I say, then I will save you!”. No. Absolutely No. God saved them and then gave the command. Likewise, we cannot step into His presence and say “I was good, I followed your rules, you have to save me”. For one, we really haven’t. And for two, if we depend on that, we are accountable for all the law, even one transgression. No. God has sent His redemption in Jesus Christ, the fulfiller of all the Law for us and has told us to follow Him and trust in Him, not our inability to fulfill the Law and by this, God saves us. Not by our following of the rules. His redemption came first. When we accept His redemption (Christ) He changes us that we are then able to please Him in what we do. We don’t do it perfectly, but Christ covers our sin with His perfection.
just some thoughts. By what do you believe you will be redeemed? Your good works and noble life? Or Christ Jesus who lived perfectly, Died horribly and paid your penalty due for your sin that you would be redeemed?
Peace.