October 28, 2019 -- Psalm 119:41 -- Steadfast Love
/Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise;
Psalm 119:41 English Standard Version
In the last stanza of Psalm 119—which in Hebrew all the first words of each line started with the letter “He”—the psalmist focused his pleas and appeals to be directed into paths of faithfulness. This new stanza, called Waw because each verse starts with this particular Hebrew letter, begins with the psalmist appealing to the Living God to give him the motivation he needs to walk in obedience.
Notice the psalmist is already a believer. He has tasted and seen the goodness of God the Mighty. He is asking that he will once again be made aware of, delight in, the steadfast love of the LORD. Love prompts us to go to the heights in service to our spouse. Love motivates a parent to care for a sick child, regardless of the messes that need to be dealt with. Love inspires long-suffering obedience when it seems love is not reciprocated.
Perhaps the psalmist was becoming aware that his service to LORD had become perfunctory. Maybe the psalmist realized he was obeying and the well of his soul was running low. When the steadfast love of God the Blessed fills our thoughts and minds we are renewed in zeal. The psalmist is directly asking for a measure of understanding and buckets of refreshing love on the basis that this is what God Himself promises His people. Salvation is joy. Salvation is evidence that His love will never let us go.
Jesus declared “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. This is the extravagant love of the Father shown to us most clearly in Jesus Christ—Jesus laid down His life for us, so that we would not be punished for our sins but He stood in our place. His faithful obedience to God the Father is credited to the account of all who believe in Him. The Spirit of God then fills our hearts, floods our minds, and captures our very soul with the immense unstoppable love of God the Father shown to us in Jesus.
Do you know your sins? Are you keenly aware of the wrong that you do which separates you from God the Holy and Just?
Do you know that there is nothing you can do to erase your sins, nothing you can do to cleanse your conscience? In fact, all your efforts only add to your condemnation. The cross of Jesus Christ is where all our sins are punished. The cross of Jesus Christ is where we see the Father’s love and the Son’s love in His willing obedience and the Spirit’s testimony of this love brought home to our minds and hearts. As New Testament Christians we clearly understand this psalmist’s appeal to God.
Just and True are all Your ways, Father in heaven. With the psalmist we pray: Let Your steadfast love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to Your promise—shown so clearly in Jesus Christ. Renew in us the joy of Your salvation. For those who do not yet know You, let the Light of Your Glory and the refreshing streams of Your love wash over them so that they may receive the promise of Your salvation so beautifully given in Jesus Christ. Spirit of the Living God, remove any barriers and obstacles to believing. Spirit of Power, let us, who are Christians already, grow in our awareness of this mighty, deep, and wide love so that our response of love and obedience to the Father’s will and Jesus way is a thankful expression of whole-hearted devotion to You. Amen.
