What Love!

“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.” (Ps 91:14 AV)

 

What a glorious verse!  I know the context is Israel in particular and Jesus Christ in general, but the principle of the verse applies to all who have come to trust in the LORD.  God promises to take care of those who choose to love Him.  This doesn’t mean if we fail in any way, God does not care for us. NO!  If our lives are occupied with a love for God, then He will care for us in ways too wonderful for us to consider!  This deliverance, for us, is eternity.  This promise does not mean we will live a trouble-free live.  What it does mean is that if we set our love upon God, He will care for us differently than if we did not.  I cannot help but be moved by the promise above.  What a comforting thought to know that God will care for me in ways I cannot imagine if I set my heart on Him.

Love is a wonderful but scary thing. To love without any expectation of return is the purest form of love.  Paul calls it charity in 1Cor 13.  This is the love the Father has for His children.  Charity may not expect anything in return, but charity is often reciprocated.  If so, the one extending charity may share even more.  Marriage is built on this type of love.  Husband and wife should love one another unconditionally without any quid pro quo.  There shouldn’t be a scorecard kept making sure each is square with the other.  This love is more than comforting.  This love means security!  However, this love also assumes vulnerability and risk.  And therein is the rub.  To love means to take a risk.  We may not receive it in kind.  In fact, we may receive just the opposite, and often we do.  When we love on our children, we can count on not being loved in return until they mature and appreciate all that we have done.  Our spouses could be going through a difficult time of life and even though we show charity and love, we may receive the opposite.  Many marriages dissolve because one or both are not committed to unconditional love.

For the LORD to care for us as described above, we must place our faith and trust in Him, loving Him in return.  This is not like trusting a spouse.  Human beings can fail you.  With the divorce rate as high as it is, we know this to be true.  Life can be a cruel teacher and we sometimes assume truth based on experience rather than what is stated to be true.  Just because people fail us does not mean God will.  The risk we may be taking by loving God with our whole heart is not a risk at all.  God’s character is perfect.  We may not always get what we want, but that is a good thing.  God’s character demands that He love us unconditionally and that He guarantees us a home in heaven.  His character demands that love be reciprocated.  He will not allow our love for Him to go unanswered.  In fact, if the truth is known, He loves us far more than we will ever love Him.  The little bit that we love Him is rewarded infinitely more.  When God promises to care for us if we love Him, the little secret is, that He does regardless of whether we love Him as much as we could.  He loves us and cares for us regardless.  However, if we set our heart on Him, the care He shows is far greater.  What a wonderful promise!