This morning I am again struck with just how good and gracious our God actually is. Nearly every morning when our family gathers for prayer, at some point my wife will make the same declaration in prayer. Almost daily she will thank God that His mercies are indeed new every morning. The verse she is referring to is found in the book of Lamentations. (It is the book written by Jeremiah immediately after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem). In Lamentations 3:22-23 Jeremiah looks past the rubble all around him and declares: “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” (Perhaps you also now see the verse that inspired the great hymn about God’s faithfulness)
Anyway, the word there “lovingkindness” is in my opinion the most important word in the Old Testament. If you’re a word-study type person go dig it up. It is the Hebrew word CHECED (2617) and it is used 253 times in the Old Testament, most famously in Psalms 136. It is often translated “mercy” or “love” or in my Bible “lovingkindess”, but I’m not sure any of those words fully grab it. It is a word that more than anything speaks of God’s loyalty to the covenantal love He has promised. He keeps His promises, He is loyal to His word. He continues to love us, not because we are worthy of love, but because He has promised to love us.
Ok, so I tell you all of that, because I was struck by this reality again this morning. (Oddly enough, I was reminded of this while studying a Psalm that does not even use the word CHECED, but the reality is obvious). This morning I was reading Psalms 38, and it is a Psalm which is said to be “for a memorial”. That is a fitting description since the singing of it certainly causes us to rejoice in the memory of God’s mercy toward us.
Here is the remarkable part. In this Psalm David has blown it and blown it bad. We don’t know which specific sin David is referring to, but let’s be honest, David (as do we) had plenty. But listen to just how crushed David is in regard to his sin.
“O LORD, rebuke me not in Your wrath, And chasten me not in Your burning anger. For Your arrows have sunk deep into me, And Your hand has pressed down on me. There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds grow foul and fester Because of my folly. I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long. For my loins are filled with burning, And there is no soundness in my flesh. I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart.” (1-8)
Can we agree that David is in despair? He has blown it, God is angry, and David is suffering under the consequences and the weight of his own personal guilt. Every child of God has been there. However, to make matters worse David’s enemies have seen his despair and have chosen to use this as an opportunity to bring him down. They are like the Edomites that Obadiah refers to who waited at the cross-roads to cut down the scattered survivors after Babylon sacked Jerusalem.
So picture the setting. David’s earthly enemies are gathered against him to seek to destroy him while he is at an all-time low, and they do this at a time when David acknowledges that God is angry with him because of his sinful folly. This looks bad for David. And yet, notice what David prays:
(13-22) “But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; And I am like a mute man who does not open his mouth. Yes, I am like a man who does not hear, And in whose mouth are no arguments. For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God. For I said, “May they not rejoice over me, Who, when my foot slips, would magnify themselves against me.” For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And many are those who hate me wrongfully. And those who repay evil for good, They oppose me, because I follow what is good. Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!”
That is remarkable to me! Even though David has wronged God. Even though God is currently angry at David. Even though David acknowledges that God’s arrows have sunk deep into him, yet even then David knows that he can count on God to deliver him from his enemies. David determines, even in this moment of rebellion, to trust in God and to wait for Him. “For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer me, O Lord my God.” And even at the end of this Psalm, David appeals to God again, and I remind you that he appeals to the God whom David acknowledges is currently angry at him. None the less, David prays (21-22) “Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!”
Where did David gets such confidence? Such audacity? The answer is simple. David knew that God’s anger and discipline which He gives to His children does not change the fact that God has promised to love them. God is filled with CHECED toward His children; not because they deserve it, but because He has promised to always give it. David lived in confidence of that fact.
So, if you’ve blown it go ahead and raise your hand. If you’ve messed up royally and have felt the anger of God’s displeasure, just raise your hand. If you’ve committed folly and made wrong decisions and know what it is to seemingly collapse under the guilt of that sin, just give me an “Amen!” And yet the wonderful reality is that God’s displeasure and even discipline toward us does not indicate that God has somehow chosen to stop loving us. In fact, the writer of Hebrews reminds us (12:6) that God disciplines and scourges the sons that He loves. What we rest in is the reality that even when we are faithless, God remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (cf. 2 Timothy 2:13). That means that though we may have moments of weakness and wickedness which may even causes us to momentarily walk in rebellion against God. God never has a moment of weakness that would cause Him to stop being who He has promised to be. He has sovereignly determined to set His love upon His children (those who are in Christ Jesus) and nothing will ever change that. “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”
Grace to You,
Bro. Rory
