Focus On His Love

“Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.” (Ps 107:43 AV)

The things to which the writer eludes are all the acts of grace the Father bestowed upon Israel.  Especially in the matter of the exodus and the wilderness wanderings.  God took care of Israel.  He met their every need.  He did not allow the enemies of Israel to triumph over them.  He met them in a dramatic way when He gave them the law.  When they taxed the divine patience and mercy, He showed restraint from the prayer of Moses, refusing to dispatch them and start over.  Time and again the LORD showed mercy on Israel.  Now, as they stand in doubt of that mercy, the LORD is telling them to remember all He has done for them and to rest in the lovingkindness of His mercy.  But note there are two conditions for understanding the love of God.  One must be wise.  That means he understands the application of understanding.  He knows what God did, why He did it, and if it applies to him.  The next is to observe them, Which means to keep them in the forefront of his mind.  When we observe something, it is the focus of our attention.  Much is blocked out or prioritized as less important for the sake of observing what captivates our attention.  To understand the love of God, one must be focused on it.  He must keep the love of God in the forefront of his mind and lever let it escape.

Love is a very powerful emotion.  Love gives a sense of worth.  If someone loves us, then we are worth something to the one who loves us.  There is security.  Knowing that we can never lose that love gives us the freedom to love without risk.  I married the love of my life thirty-five years ago this coming October.  I did not have a large imagination or pocketbook, so I planned a honeymoon touring some Canadian cities.  We started in Toronto.  Then off to Montreal and Quebec.  This was actually a retrace of my parent's honeymoon.  We started off in Toronto.  We toured Eaton’s Centre.  Easton’s is a very large shopping mall in the style of the European marketplace.  The stores had inside access only.  The outside of the building was all the same.  No separate advertisements for the different stores and shops within.  Easton’s Centre spans several city blocks.  We spent the better part of an afternoon there and never did see it all.  We also took public transportation out to the Toronto science museum.  I had to apologize for that one.  My dear wife is not a science kind of person.  But it was on that excursion that I understood for the first time that I was married, my wife loved me unconditionally, and this arrangement was permanent.  At least until life changed our relationship.  There was a wave of contentment, security, and affirmation that flooded my soul and heart.  I can take you to the place this happened.  Love radically changed who and what I was.  Since that time, we may have had a few times when that love came into doubt.  Not because of anything she did or failed to do, but rather, personal struggles which I was enduring.  At these times, going back to that memory and consequent memories since then, I began to realize just how much my wife truly loved me.  I had to remember all she put up with to be at my side.  I had to do an inventory and come to the conclusion she could have done so much better, yet chosen me.  After thirty-five years, there is no doubt whatsoever as to my wife’s undying and unconditional love for me.

Life can get so overwhelming that we soon forget just how much God loves us.  The word of God is our first source to reveal just how much He does.  But let us not forget memories.  The psalm in which we find our verse is a recollection of some of what God has done.  It may be only a minor representation of the mercy and love of God, but it is still very helpful.  We may not remember all the little things God has done.  But we can remember the big things.  We can remember our salvation.  We can remember our family.  We can remember all the years of good health even if our health is failing now.  We can remember who the LORD brought us out of deep trouble that was self-inflicted.   We can remember some of the messages that shaped us through the years.  We can remember a lot of what God has done if we chose to.  All we need to do is read our journals, look at pictures, or simply construct a general timeline of life.  All will reveal just how much God loves us.  He loves us today and will love us tomorrow because He loved us yesterday.