Sometimes I feel like the Lord prompts me to go to a particular chapter in the Bible, because he wants to say something to me from that passage that will either speak to my current circumstances or will teach me something about himself or the life of faith. On silent retreat a few weeks ago, I felt like I heard him say to turn to Psalm 147. I said to myself, “Well, that’s probably not the Lord, because I’m pretty sure there’s nothing really interesting there.” But I turned there any way, just in case. And in reading it, verse 11 especially popped out. It says
The Lord takes pleasure in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness. (Amplified)
Skip over the word “fear” for now, because it evokes negative reactions in most of us, and to understand it properly, it will distract us from what the Lord is really saying here. This verse says that if we really believe in and rely on his goodness and kindness towards us, this attitude in us actually brings joy to God’s heart. We put a smile on God’s face because of how we trust him to love us and care for us.
Note that the phrase “in those who hope in His mercy and loving-kindness” is meant to amplify or be an explanation for the meaning of the first phrase, “in those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him”. So how is hoping in God’s love identical to fearing him? If you understand the word “fear” to refer to God punishing us, then you will have a hard time making any sense of how the two are equivalent. But if you understand it in regard to his great power, it is possible to make sense of this. If God were weak or lacking in abilities, then trusting God to provide for us might be a bad strategy. If God had a mean streak or was fickle and unreliable, then trusting him would also be a bad strategy. But God is love, and is loving, faithful, and trustworthy towards us. Since he is also mighty, hoping in him is acknowledging the fullness of who he is, and in acknowledging that, we are acknowledging how worthy he is of our respect and admiration — which is how the word “fear” is being used here.
For some reason, understanding this passage in this way brought to mind two New Testament passages that are somewhat unexpected in what they say. The first is John 17:3, and the second comes at the end of Romans 8. John 17:3 says
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (NIV)
Doesn’t this verse make you want to say something like, “Jesus, didn’t you learn in Sunday School or church that eternal life is about going to heaven”?! But I guess Jesus knows a thing or two about eternal life, and so maybe we should try to hear what he is saying. Let us ask ourselves how “eternal life” is the same as “knowing God”? I think what it is saying is that the secret to the meaning of life, whether in this world or the world to come (heaven), is in having an intimate knowledge of the personality and character of God. All other things pale in comparison — they disappear.
How many people who claim to follow Jesus (and I am not doubting that they do), genuinely believe that knowing God intimately is what life is all about? Do you believe — I mean really believe — that this is what life is all about? If knowing God intimately is the true meaning of our existence — and you really believed it — how would this change how you live your life? What might you do differently? What activities would you stop, because they are leading to the wrong answer? What things might you start doing? I’m guessing we would do things to know God better, like reading the Bible more with an eye to knowing his heart. And we might take more time to listen to him speak to us, both through the Scripture and the still, small voice that is from God living in us.
The other thing we might do differently is we might speak to others about him differently — both to those who follow Jesus, and those who don’t. Honestly, since we have the answer to the meaning of life, don’t you think we might be able to help people get on the right path — to find what they have been looking for all of their lives (but perhaps were unaware)?
John 17:3 and the verse we started with, Psalm 147:11 are related because they both focus on relationship with God, and because “knowing” in John 17:3 enables us to “hope” in his loving-kindness, found in Psalm 147:11. Now let us look at the other passage that came to mind, in Romans 8. Specifically, Romans 8:28,31,35,37-39
The more ropes or contractions result in a life-threatening situation. generic viagra australia The treating chiropractor identifies the joints that are restricted or show abnormal motion (subluxations) and returns motion to the joint with a gentle thrusting technique. free samples levitra http://secretworldchronicle.com/characters/seraphym/ Eat healthy and right food that gives you fulfillment order cheap levitra rather than the physical aspect. Horny goat weed is a leafy herb producing red and yellow result due to the varnishing and rubberizing processes. cialis viagra generico 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose… 31If God is for us, who can be against us? 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV)
Just as in John 17:3, this passage makes us want to correct the author, who in this case is the Apostle Paul. When we read about demons, persecution, famine, and the sort, we would like to read also about how we would come through unscathed. Verse 31 gets our hopes up, because we see that God is for us, so surely our foes will all be defeated. Then we get a little off-balance in verse 37, because we are said to be “more than conquerors”, and yet it is IN danger and sword, not OVER danger and sword. But instead of assuring us of freedom from pain, suffering, or even death, the Apostle Paul tells us that God is so strong that none of the horrible things of life will separate us from His love — both in verse 35 and in verse 39. He tells us twice, just to make sure we get the point. Okay, that’s good, but what about escaping pain and death?!
Once again, we see that our focus has perhaps been wrong. We would like to triumph over everything that comes against us in this world — to be seen by all as kicking butt in the Name of the Lord — to always prosper materially and to be in good health. But this dramatic passage promises us something else. First, in verse 28, it promises that no matter what bad things happen to us in this life, God will work for our good in them.
Second, he promises that nothing that comes against us will separate us from His love. He holds onto us securely. Without our understanding of John 17:3 telling us that the meaning of life is all about knowing God (and this means in an intimate and deeply loving relationship), we might find the assurance of not being separated from God’s love to be like a consolation prize. But instead, we now see that this is the most important thing that we could ever hope for. It is the greatest prize.
We might also see — especially in light of how this verse mentions the devil — that the devil’s main goal is to try to separate us from the love of God. We know that one of his main tactics is to lie to us about the true character of God — to make us doubt the very thing that we read in Psalm 147:11 — that is, that we can trust God to care for us. Another of his tactics is to isolate us, and then cause us to lose our certainty about our standing with God as dearly loved children and soon-to-be bride of Jesus.
None of what I have written discounts the idea that God still miraculously heals people or even raises people from the dead (Jesus said these things would surely continue — see John 14:11-14). But I do think it reminds us that “bad” things sometimes (perhaps often) happen to people who are dearly loved and highly favored by God. Consider what our heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 — and particularly verses 35 to 38 — went through. But the “bad” things listed in Romans 8 appear “bad” when we believe that a sign of God’s blessing is to have comfort, health, and success in the earthly life, while they are not “bad” in light of what appears to be the true meaning of life — eternal life — which is to know God, trust in Him, and live a life of love and being loved. NOTHING can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (v. 39).
I know I fall short in so many ways in my walk with God. But my goal in life is to really make God smile when he thinks of me. I want to bring so much joy to his heart — and I now see that knowing Him more intimately, focusing on the main thing, and learning to put my hope and trust more in His loving-kindness, is the way to go. It is all about relationship!
I want this hope to spill over to others, so that they too can find the one who gives meaning to their lives. I want to not just write about it — which is where I feel most comfortable — but I want to talk about it and demonstrate it to others.
May God also strengthen you as you grow into the fullness of your love for Him!
First posted September 8, 2009 under the title “It Really is All About Relationship”