Evening meditation:
The Lord has had me for several days reflecting on the dual nature of one’s relationship with Him….captivated by His steadfast love AND enjoying intimate fellowship through living in righteousness. And the reality that we can know that we are continuing in His love even when we have compromised our fellowship with Him through sinful behavior. Tonight as I read, I saw this confirmed in Psalm 130….
Psalm 130- A song of ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins , Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with
reverence, serve you.
5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put
my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is love
AND
with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
GOD LOVES US WITHOUT CONDITIONS….. AND….. HE ALSO DESIRES OUR FULL REDEMPTION…. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross brought justification (imputed righteousness) and our submission to His Holy Spirit’s refining work brings sanctification (imparted righteousness.)… FULL REDEMPTION.
Verse 4 notes that we are forgiven, SO THAT we are able to serve God because we have been made holy, as He is holy and able to fellowship intimately with him. When we sin, fellowship may be broken until we feel the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit, confess and repent, moving back into intimacy with Him again. Forgiveness is always there through the redeeming blood of Christ. Love is always there, because that is WHAT GOD IS! But fellowship in intimate communion requires that we be sustained in the ongoing refining work of the Spirit and maintain a posture of humble repentance, never taking Christ’s redeeming work on our behalf for granted, lapsing back into unrepentant, sinful behavior.
What is the significance of waiting, putting hope in his Word and waiting ’til morning? I think it is that as we ,come before Him in prayer and humble repentance (as we see in vs 1&2), we can be assured that we will see our relationship with Him restored because His MERCY IS NEW EVERYMORNING! EVERY DAY IS A FRESH START. WHATEVER THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS OR ACTIONS OF THE DAY HAVE VIOLATED GOD’S HOLINESS, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT IT BEORE HIM IN REPENTANCE AND BE BROUGHT BACK INTO COMMUNION WITH HIS SPIRIT. One’s self-evaluation and humble prayer at night is this PSALM!
God loves and desires to be with us continually, but cannot abide with us in the midst of unrepentant sinfulness. 1/4/20 CBB