To Encourage You

Jeremiah 31:3 “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

Imagine for a moment that you are the king of the world.  Imagine that you have absolute authority to do and say as you please, and everyone is accountable to obey your commands.  Imagine that you are a good and loving king, and that your every command and action is the absolute best thing for those under your rule. Then imagine that there is a group of rebels that hated you without a cause, constantly acted against your authority, and encouraged others to do the same.  Imagine that whenever they spoke your name it was only as a curse word, and that they derided and mocked anyone who had a mind to obey you.  What would you do to them?  How might you react? 

Isn’t it amazing then, that when the true King of kings and Lord of lords was faced with just this situation, His reactions were often the opposite of what we would expect?  As Jesus, the One Who alone possessed all authority in heaven and earth, was plotted against, despised, and brought unjustly to be tried by those whom He had created, He could have said to Pilate, a ruler that had actually been given his authority by Christ himself, the same words He had earlier said to the apostle Peter,  “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53).  But He didn’t. And why didn’t He? Because of His incredible love for the very enemies who hated Him.  Then we have these words from the cross as He was spit upon, mocked, cursed, and tortured by those whom He could have incinerated with one word: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). 

There’s a word to describe this. It’s a wonderful word found throughout the Scriptures such as the verse above from Jeremiah 31.  It’s the word “lovingkindness.”  Notice how it’s used in this verse: “With lovingkindness I have drawn you.”  It’s the same idea expressed in these words from Romans 2:4: “Do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” It is such an incredible truth that the Lord Who can do anything He wants to anybody He wants anytime He wants does not force us to obey Him.  He urges us to follow Him for our own good, but if we refuse, if we rebel and give Him no second thought, so often He nevertheless relents to show patience toward us and draw us by His lovingkindness. He continues to meet our needs. He provides us with every meal we ever eat, every drop of water we ever drink, the roof over our heads, family, friends, and one blessing after another.  As we are told in John 1:14 (NIV) “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.”  And then this from Luke 6:35: “He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” But it is only when a person comes face to face with the despicable nature of their own sin, when they come to realize what they’ve done in spite of the mercy and goodness of God, when they realize that they are worthy of condemnation and nothing more, and  when they bow at the feet of the King of kings and confess their sin, that they are so wonderfully surprised by God’s grace and lovingkindness. 

Surprised by grace; it’s what happened to the apostle Paul, as he met the Lord of glory on the Damascus Road. Listen to Paul’s words as he recounts that experience to his protégé Timothy in 1 Timothy 1: “Formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” And then these words about the Lord Who so incredibly had forgiven and saved him rather than destroy him, which was exactly what he deserved: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 

So, what about you?  Do you realize that this God Who has absolute and sovereign authority over heaven and earth is a God who demonstrates lovingkindness and mercy toward us, and this because He expended the condemnation we deserved on His kind and loving Son?  Why would you reject Him? Why run from Him rather than turn towards Him?  May the Lord open our eyes to His lovingkindness as He draws us by His marvelous grace.  And may we who know Him continually give Him praise for the grace we’ve received from our kind and loving King.