Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Psalm 103:15-17 As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children's children.
BLESS THE LORD (3)
We need the Lord's forgiveness and mercy because we are exactly as David wrote, like grass and flowers that flourish for a time and then are gone. No one can escape death. No matter how casual you live your life or how much you seek for external pleasure and gain, you will never escape death on your own. We need the Lord's mercy. In contrast to our mortal lives, He gives an everlasting gift. But as David truthfully confesses, this gift is for those who "fear" God.
How do we understand this fear? Are we to be terrified of God? Is He waiting to strike us down at any minute? Should we sleep with one eye open? Would it help if we did? Understanding Godly fear is so important to understanding God. In one sense, yes, we should be terrified of God. As David has already written, God is holy; we are not even close. That would be one thing if God didn't also demand holiness of us, as members of His creation. Now, not only do we fail to measure up to God, we are under obligation to Him or we must pay the penalty of our sins. If you think this sounds like a terrifying situation you're not alone.
But this is precisely where God's mercy comes into play. The terror type of fear is not the only thing in our lives. We have forgiveness through Jesus Christ. That mercy meets together with our terror of God's holiness and forms Godly fear; an awesome respect and reverence for our Maker/Redeemer God. Terror can be healthy when we get self-reliant in ourselves. But, if that was all we had, there would be no hope. Mercy is part of who God is just as much as holiness; for that we should bless His name.
Godly fear is really the same as what is described in Psalm 85:10: "Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed." The "truth" of our standing before God can be a harsh reality at times. Mercy meets with truth and provides the complete picture.
