Monday 28 October 2019

How far does God's love extend?

How far does Gods' love extend? How far will it go...till it runs out?  Does it run out? My patience runs out, my creativity drains quickly, my endurance seems to decline with every passing year but does God's love end?. I was reading Psalm 107 as part of my Bible reading plan (M'Cheyne's), and the opening line is: 'Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.' (emphasis mine). Forever.
To prove the point the psalm looks at 4 groups of people that find themselves in situations that bring to question if God's love is still around.
1. 'Some wandered in desolate wilderness...' These guys are lost, confused and turned around with little to no hope of finding their way back home, or anywhere safe. They're hungry and desperate.
2. 'Others sat in darkness and gloom...' This group has rebelled from God and is paying the price...dungeons and gloom with heavy chains. Feeling rejected by men and God.
3. 'Others become fools through rebellion...'. It seems this group also rebelled against God but this led to illness that was so bad the doctors could do nothing more for them; they are in complete distress.
4. 'Others went out on the sea in ships...' only to run into an epic storm and 'their courage melted away...they were at their wits end'. This group is simply going about their work when their world erupts into unexpected chaos.
Each situation is very relatable even to the casual observer--who hasn't been at their wits end or experienced unexpected chaos? Who of us can confidently say we have not rebelled against God and not paid for it one way or another though lingering guilt and broken relationships?
And at the end of each situation it says that 'they cried out to the LORD in their distress and trouble'--they are beyond human help and finally cry out to God when all hope seems to be gone. In each of these it can feel as though God is far away, far removed and waiting for us to fix our own mess...but look what He does: "He delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way...he broke their chains...he saved them and healed them...he stills the storm to a whisper and guided them to their desired haven.'
It is in the darkest pits; at the end of a dead end; in the greatest storm and the most hopeless state that God's love extends even there...actually does some of its most amazing work.  His love here is not a passive, limp encouragement note...its active--breaking, freeing, delivering, calming, healing...exactly what we need.
Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10), one who leads the sheep, heals them, restores and protects them and finds them when they have wandered away into dark valleys. What a great Psalm and such good news going into a new week!