God’s Unfailing Love And Salvation
BRD REFLECTIONS
2 Corinthians 7 and Psalm 85 (NIV)
(Josephine Loo, Chairperson, Property Management)
READ:
Psalm 85, focusing on verses 7-9 and 12-13 (NIV)
7 Show us your unfailing love, LORD, and grant us your salvation. 8 I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants – but let them not turn to folly. 9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
12The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. 13 Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.
OBSERVE:
From Psalm 85:7-9, we know that God’s love and compassion for us cannot co-exist with our sins and wrongdoings. Throughout the Old Testament, God has demonstrated his intolerance for the Israelites’ sinning and disobedience by punishing them with defeat and captivity by other nations. Yet again and again, God lifted the Israelites out of captivity and showed them peace and mercy when they confessed and obeyed God.
From Psalms 85:12-13, we know that God loves us as his children and promises to bless us.
APPLY:
Man’s sinful actions, if not corrected, can slowly lead us towards self-destruction. Little by little, worldly sins like greed, lust, envy, pride, sloth bring us further and further away if we do not keep God’s words in our heart or recognise God’s prompting around us. For the Israelites, God punished them for worshipping false gods. Once they repented, God brought them back on the right path. Like children, the Israelites were being punished, but God has also shown that He can revive and restore them if they repent. God’s unconditional love for the people of Israel is an exceptional privilege, only given to God’s people. However, it also comes with great responsibilities, which must be reciprocated by an inward reverence to God and outward expression to others.
DO:
For me, I pray that I will become more mindful and sensitive of the things that cause me to sin. It may be my pride or ego. At work, it may be my excessive control on the direction of a project, or the control on cost, expenditure and time. I pray that I will recognise these as catalysts which lead me to turn away from God and also cause others around me to stumble. I will also be watchful over the small, inconsiderate deeds and actions, which though seemingly insignificant, can grow into deep-rooted habits that will consume me. I pray that the Holy Spirit will enable me to recognise the actions and thoughts that lead to spiritual death. The psalmist recognised this and prayed against that spiritual death by asking for God’s revival for us.
All good things and works come from God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, let us endeavor to keep God’s commandments and teachings because we know that God promises salvation and blessings.
PRAY:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for your Word today. With life’s many trappings and riddles, I pray that I will hide your Word in my heart, and recognise the many pits and bends that can lead me away from you. Keep me righteous, keep me pure in your sight and help me to always lean on your Word, applying your standards of grace and love. May your Spirit be around me to guide me and test me. Send your angels to protect and help me and I pray that your Will be done on earth as it in heaven. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
