This is often true in life. As a parent I considered any information that I had repeated to my son to be taken in and adhered to. Although all of my directions and commands required his attention, that which was repeated was all the more important.
Scripture is full of important direction for our lives. We have direct commands from God, as in the law and many of the teachings of Jesus. We also have examples from the lives of those who have gone before us. If you want to be a leader you follow the examples of godly leaders such as Moses, Joshua and Paul. (Following Jesus goes unsaid. He is our greatest leader.) If you want to have a heart that seeks after God, you follow the example of King David.
A constant throughout David's life was worship. Whether he was in the fields with the sheep; living in caves while running from King Saul; or living in the opulent palace in Jerusalem; he was a man of praise. Many of the Psalms that he wrote were during those times when his life circumstances seemed to be at their lowest. Throughout every stage of his life, David remained a man who searched out God's will and remembered the Lord’s great and mighty works. In addition to this he spent much time contemplating just how great God is.
In “Continual Time for Food and Medicine” (3/18/2015) I mentioned that in Psalm 136, David repeats one single line 26 times. In every verse this line is repeated. “…for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.” King David may be reminding himself of this truth in hard times. Whatever his motivation David chose to repeat this line over and over again. He began the Psalm by acknowledging the attributes of God’s greatness in creation. He then continued to show times in which God mightily intervened to bring deliverance in Israel’s history. With each line David repeated, “…for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.” 26 times should be enough for us to take notice and truly believe this statement.
Using my college professor’s model, we should sit up and take notice of this characteristic of Almighty God. We will find this concept extremely important to have remembered when we face life’s tests. When challenges arise will we ask God why he has allowed these difficult events to occur? Will we suddenly look at life with no clue as to the proper response? Or will we remember King David’s declaration? “…for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.” “…for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.” This declaration should be repeated over and over again in our hearts until it is the first words we speak when pressure hits. “…for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45b AMP)
In order for this verse to become a reality in our inner man, we must not simply remember the words. Rote memorization can sometimes replicate a correct answer on a written test, but to truly find value in the knowledge memorized, we must go beyond the mere words. Understanding comes as we seek out and study a concept. The term mercy and loving-kindness actually appears in the amplified version of Scripture 136 times. I would say that that is quite a bit of repeat. It also shows that David was not the only one who understood this characteristic of God’s nature. It also encourages us that we can likewise experience the enduring mercy and loving-kindness of our heavenly father.
In pleasant times, “…His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.” In difficult times, “…His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.” When we feel God’s presence, “…His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.” When we wonder if God even sees us, “…His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.”
Ponder this truth until it becomes deeply rooted in your heart and it will become your first response when the tests of life arise. “…for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.”
No comments:
Post a Comment