GOD’S FOREVER LOVING-KINDNESS

HOW DOES GOD SHOW HIS LOVING-KINDNESS?

The “loving-kindness” of God in the Old Testament is as prominent a word as “grace” in the New Testament. This idea of the love of God is of a steadfast, constantly abiding love. It is a love that will not let us go. Its expression is seen particular toward those who are in covenant with God. Just as grace and mercy are so often linked in the New Testament, so this love of God in the Old Testament is tied generally to His “tender mercies.” God’s mercy is saving us from calamity which we do deserve is vital to receiving the many expression of His love which we do not deserve.  Such love causes Him to redeem us from destruction while at the same time crowning our lives with the blessings of His love. Search love and mercy were necessary to save underserving sinners, to declare them saints, and to wait patiently for them to grow toward a likeness of the living Christ.”

BENEFITS OF GOD’S LOVING-KINDNESS

The psalmist sung a song to His Loving God in this manner (Ps. 103:1-14) “Bless the Lord O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” The psalmist urged his soul to bless the Lord and all that is within him to bless His holy name. He delighted in blessing the Lord for all His Loving-kindnesses which God had shown him and for the benefits, which he received from Him. i.e. “The Lord who forgives his iniquities, who heals all his diseases, the Lord who redeems his life from destruction, the Lord who crowns him with loving- kindness and tender mercies, the Lord who satisfies his mouth with good things, and so that his youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (V.3-7). These were the benefits which led the son of Jesse to bless the name of God. He did not stop there but continued (V. 6-14) “The Lord who executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious; slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are higher above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far as He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.”  I too urge us to join ourselves together with the son of Jesse as we bless and exalt the name of the Lord. The Lord whose loving kindness is forever and ever. The Lord who is merciful and gracious, who is slow to anger and abounding in mercy. Through His mercies and loving-kindness, we are not consumed. Though many a times we rebel and follow our own ways and instinct, yet when we return to Him, He do receives us back. He went as far as pleading with His rebellious Israelites to come and reason together with Him thus (Isa. 1: 18-19) “Come now and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” This is how far the loving-kindness of God our Father can extend. The rebellious and stiff-necked Israelites were the ones who walked away from the love of their God, and followed the dictates of other nations whom He had warned them not to follow. And instead of coming to seek mercy and grace from God, they cared less and never bothered at all. The loving Father stretched His arms to receive them back to Himself but they rebelled always until he had to release His chastening but of love.

GOD’S LOVING-KIDNESS TO ABRAHAM

Because of Abraham’s faithfulness in his walk with God, God did appear to him again to seal the covenant He had made with him (Gen. 17:1-2) “When Abram was ninety –nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am the Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” For us to experience the loving-kindness of God the Almighty: The all in all God, then we must walk with Him and be blameless beloved. A change of name (V. 5-7, 15-16) “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and your descendant after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” God graciously revealed Himself as the God of the covenant- He is a shield and a very great rewarder. Now the promise of a descendant was made more explicit-as the heir would be his very own son who was yet to be born. Furthermore, is descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the heaven. The loving-kindness Father, who had revealed Himself in word, and who had faithfully protected and sustained him, had again pledged His word of promise, this time binding it with a self-maledictory oath.

ABRAHAM’S KINDNESS PROVOKED GOD AND REVEALED TO HIM WHAT HE WAS ABOUT TO DO

The Lord appeared to Abraham again on His way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 18:1-5) “Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when He saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowered himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, as much as you have come to your servant.” They said, “Do as you have said.” If only we can read the word of God, get the knowledge and understand the revelation of each word, I assure us there will be no struggling whatsoever. May we learn beloved, always to be kind to those who we meet in life or those that come our way. As one may be entertaining angels without one’s knowledge. And don’t be mean to give a cup of water and never hold back a morsel of bread, however how little it may appear to be. Angels carry double blessings and multiplications with them. A cup of water and a morsel of bread provoke the blessings to be released. In my previous article, about, “KINDNESS COMMUNICATES”- I had noted: The Zarapheth woman to Elijah, The notable Shunammite woman to Elisha and to Abraham and Sarah the God who appeared to them in form of three men in this article today. Had they held back their kindness, definitely, they would have not received their breakthroughs at the set time or the appointed time! Had they held back their kindness then, they would have missed their blessings, aborted their expectation and delayed their breakthroughs. Consider and Analyze this beloved.

AFTER THE EATING!

Allow me to use this example before hitting the main one, “When a friend , a family friend or a neighbor, when they come to us and we represent them something to eat and a drink, that day they will open up and reveal to one  a challenge or what they might be facing at that time. But when they come and we don’t show love in anyway, then what they had in their heart, they will hold it back with them. May I get your thoughts concerning this on the comment below? (Gen. 18:8-10, 16-19) “So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they eat. Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” Listen beloved: they came, given water to wash their feet, afterwards rested under the terebinth tree, they never inquired about Sarah Abraham’s wife; but after the eating and now they were full they were able to inquire the whereabouts of Sarah. (V. 10) “And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” If the notable Shunammite believed and received it, Sarah at age ninety believed it and received Isaac. Therefore, I take power and authority as I speak life to any barren womb; according to the time of life next year, you shall embrace your baby in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth Amen. Barrenness is not our portion in the name of Jesus. Amen. If you believe it, receive it in Jesus Mighty name-Amen. (V. 16-19) “Then the men rose from there and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to send them on the way. And the Lord said, “Shall I hid from Abraham what I am doing, surely Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteous and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” When Abraham learned that God was about to destroy the city of Sodom, he became immediately concerned for the welfare of his nephew Lot. Lord, he prayed, “would You destroy the righteous with the wicked?” God replied that if ten righteous people could be found the city would be spared. Another wisdom; there are some secret revelations that can’t be revealed in the house in the presence of others but on the way as we send our visitors away. Therefore, wisdom demands here; if they are male visitors, then the man of the house see to it that he sends them on their way. And if they are female visitors, then let the woman see that she send them on their way. Try this and let me know how it goes with us.

For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever (Ps. 117:2) also (Ps. 107:31) “Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”