Unconditional Acceptance

“But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.” (Ps 49:15 AV)

Nothing deep here.  Just a reminder of God’s grace.  There is one little word that means all the world to me.  It might surprise you which word that might be.  It is not ‘redeem’.  It is not ‘soul’.  It is not even the word ‘receive’.  These words are wonderful words.  But without this one word, they are not as significant.  What is that one word?  As I said, it might surprise you.  I think the one word that lends power to the entire verse is the very first word; ‘but’.  Despite all we are or what life will be like, in the end, we will not suffer eternal damnation because God will redeem us from the power of the grave.  It doesn’t matter what our enemies say.  Even if it is the truth.  God’s grace is infinitely greater than that of the accusations of our enemy.  God’s grace is greater than all our sin.  In the end, what matters is God’s love and affirmation experienced in an infinite eternity.  In the end, eternal life is all that matters.

David is observing the treatment he is receiving from his enemies.  So the ‘but’ is more than a simple change of venue.  He is expressing the hope and faith he has that despite the rejection he feels from most people, he will be received by a God who loves him unconditionally.  That is why the ‘but’ is so important.  As a child, I was pretty much a loner.  I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere.  This arose from relentless bullying from my classmates in grade school.  For one reason or another, I was the brunt of most torture handed out by my fellow students.  It was horribly relentless.  The friends I had as a child I could count on one hand.  And that is not an exaggeration.  Friends were hard to come by.  This feeling persisted into adulthood.  Even today I feel as though I don’t fit in anywhere.  In some way, it does benefit me.  I don’t have to work at fitting in because I don’t feel like I ever will.  This allows me to lead without fear of rejection.  Deep down, though, every person wants to fit in somewhere.  This was David’s problem.  He didn’t fit in anywhere.  That is why the word ‘but’ is so significant.  Even though few affirmed him, he knew one day that God would receive him.

Whether our isolation is real or imagined, we have a God who loves us no matter what.  We are assured of heaven regardless of who or what we are.  There is nothing we can bring to this relationship other than our hearts.  And, that is all God wants.  He created us.  He loves us.  He sent His son to die for us.  Our Father in heaven will receive us and no force on earth or in heaven can change that.  Our God will receive us.  He will do so with open arms and joy on His face.  He will welcome us as if our brief time on earth was an agonizing term of separation.  He will welcome His children as if they are His more prized and precious relationship.  What a thought!  He shall receive me!  He shall receive you!  If, you trust in His Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.