Each of today’s readings deeply touched my heart. In Psalm 119:41-48, we read that “God’s love is unfailing” (verse 41). This means that His love is unchanging, ever reliable, and everlasting. Think about this truth for a moment. What if God’s love were capricious – like human love? Thank God that His love is absolutely trustworthy and unfailing! His love, salvation, and promises are changeless, immutable, and faithful; always just as dependable and reliable as His covenant with day and night (cf., Jeremiah 33:20). Although we are fallen, changeable creatures who can be relied upon to fail, God is a Rock – an Anchor – Whose Word is constant, forever, and never fails. Here, the Psalmist is so convinced of his security in God’s love, in His Word, and in His faithfulness that he says, “I will answer the one who taunts me … I will always obey your law … I will walk about in freedom … and I will not be put to shame” (verses 42-46). Five times (cf., verses 42, 44, 45, and 46), the Psalmist willingly commits himself to love, obey, testify to, take delight in, and meditate upon the precepts of the LORD because His love – and by extension, His salvation — is unfailing.
Yesterday, we saw that God instructed Jeremiah to invest his money in (i.e., to “buy”) a field in shaky times – in the face of impending national crisis – economic collapse perpetrated by the Babylonians. In an act of simple obedience, Jeremiah did so, and his obedience demonstrated Jeremiah’s trust in the LORD. Today, in Jeremiah 32:26-34:22, we read that nothing is “too hard” for God (verse 27). Judah and Israel pursued evil, and God intends to punish them with the “sword, famine, and plague” (verse 36). But God also promises to regather them and “make them His people” (verse 37). In verse 41, God uses the curious, anthropomorphic expression, “with all my heart and soul” to emphasize His tender love for and His deep affection and identification with us – His creatures. He tells us, “call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (verse 33:3). In Jeremiah 34, the prophet is instructed to prophesy to King Zedekiah his future end in Babylon.
Now today, we come to 1 Timothy 1 which Paul wrote to encourage Timothy, “his true son in the faith” (verse 2). In this passage, Paul also tells Timothy that Christian love results from “a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith” in Christ (verse 5). These are the godly by-products of the “grace, mercy, and peace” that we receive “from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord” (verse 2). Paul explains that “the law is good if it is used properly” (verse 8), but its proper use is for “lawbreakers and rebels, ungodly, sinful, unholy, and irreligious people … perverts, slave traders, liars, and perjurers” (verses 8-10). Why is that “the proper use of the law?” Because law is the only factor that keeps them in line – in their current state – they can rise no higher than law. As believers, we are called to a different command – “hold on to grace, faith, love, patience, and a good conscience – as an example to those who would believe in Christ and receive eternal life” (cf., verses 14-19). Thankfully, believers are called to live under grace – a spiritual plane that rises higher than law.
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