Wearing Affection…

 

He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love,—Proverbs 17:9a AMP

He who covers a transgression seeks love,—Proverbs 17:9a NKJV

Love overlooks and covers offenses especially those offenses that are against us...personal offenses. Love desires the best spiritually for another and puts their good foremost without considering how they themselves are being treated. Christ is our greatest example:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.--Romans 5:8

Reading this proverb (17:9a) this morning brought 1 Peter 4:8 to mind and it is where I spent my time. 

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins.

And - Moreover

Above - Before

all things - each every any

have - to hold in the hand in the sense of wearing; to have possession of the mind

fervent - stretched out; stretched forth to its longest reach 

love - charity, affection, good will, benevolence

for one another - towards each other

for - because

love - affection, good will, love benevolence, brotherly love

will cover - Kalypto - to hide, veil, to hinder the knowledge of a thing, conceal that it might not become known.  Kalypto comes from two root words: 

1. klepto - to steal or commit a theft...to take away by stealth

2. kyrpto - to hide, conceal to be hid, to escape notice.

a multitude - a great number

of sins - violations of divine law in thought or in act. 

My Paraphrase...

And before each and every thing give preeminence to and wear affection, good will and benevolence stretched to the limit as in a stretched out hand toward one another because self sacrificing love will cover or conceal a great many sins. It will point many to Jesus.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.--1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (Replace the word love with Jesus)

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.--Philippians 2:1-11

Love is ready to forgive...love covers and overlooks offenses against itself.  

Better to Dwell in the Wilderness than with a Contentious and Angry Woman…

 

Better to dwell in the wilderness,

Than with a contentious and angry woman.—Proverbs 21:19

This verse is repeated in several different ways throughout Proverbs and none of them paint a pretty picture. One likens a quarrelsome wife to a continual dripping of rain.  Oh, may this never be said ( or thought!) about me!  To be fair though, women do not have the corner of the market on contentiousness. A lack of self-control when it comes to strong emotion is not just a woman’s problem.  It is a sin problem, and it is as rampant today as it was back when this proverb was penned.  

An angry wife, an angry husband or an angry child can make the lives of the people who live with them at best uncomfortable and, at worse, miserable or even downright impossible. The word “wilderness” here, by the way, means an uninhabitable land. For the purpose of this study I will focus on the wife, but the root sin problem and the antidote are the same for all.  

I am of one flesh with my husband.  When I am feeling something, he feels it with me. When we are not living in unity because one or both of us is being irritable, argumentative, cantankerous, irascible, or just a plain jerk, there is no joy in Mudville (as the saying goes).  As believers, we are to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of our flesh. We are not to allow our passions to rule, but are to depend on our God’s grace to love those that God has placed in our lives. We are to consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.  We are, in effect, to point them to Christ by both our words and our actions.  

What do I do when I find myself falling into the role of the contentious woman?  I examine my heart.  I ask myself the simple question...what do you want that you are not getting?  Why that question you might ask? Because my bad attitudes ALWAYS stem from what I am not getting. What I, in my selfishness (and wrong thinking), think I deserve.  

I then remind myself of the truth.  I deserve death, and it is only by God’s grace that a place in heaven is reserved and being prepared for me.  My life then should never be one of contention, but by the power of His Spirit, it should instead be a continuous song of praise and thanksgiving before Him.  I died, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. I have been crucified with Him; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  

Praying today that my heart and my home would be a soft place to fall for the precious people with which my God has blessed me.  Beloved, God is our Rock of Refuge from the tribulations and trials of this life.  A Man is our covert in the storm.  Point those you love to Him.  Be gracious and not contentious. May we, as believing wives, saved by His unmerited favor, make the words of Isaiah In Chapter 25 live in our heart and our home.

For You have been a strength to the poor,

A strength to the needy in his distress,

A refuge from the storm,

A shade from the heat;

For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

5 You will reduce the noise of aliens,

As heat in a dry place;

As heat in the shadow of a cloud,

The song of the terrible ones will be diminished.—Isaiah 25:4-5

Ending with a portion of Scripture that is my go-to when it comes to relationships...

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.—Colossians 3:12-17

No Good Thing Done for His Glory Will Go Unrewarded…

 

Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.—Ephesians 6:5-8

I highlighted verse 8 above, because I think this morning was the first time my heart took note of it. There are other verses in the NT that basically say the same thing, but this one really makes it plain.  Whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord.  Beloved…no good thing done for His glory will go unrewarded. Call me shallow, but when push comes to shove, looking ahead to the reward helps me to keep going.

Jesus died for us when we were still His enemies. At the cross Christ suffered for the joy that was set before Him. (Us) Jesus looked to the reward.  

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

For He shall bear their iniquities.—Isaiah 53:11

And then there is the faith of the patriarchs…Abraham looked to his heavenly hope…

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.—Hebrews 11:8-10

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.—Hebrews 11:13-16

Moses looked to the reward…

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

So go ahead…look to the reward…you are in good company. While it is true that sometimes the reward seems long in coming, it is guaranteed either in this life or most assuredly, the next.  Christ, Himself…who is your shield and your exceedingly great reward…gives us His word. 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.—Hebrews 11:1-2

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.—Colossians 3:2

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.—Galatians 6:6-10

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.—2 Corinthians 9:6-7

I Would Have Lost Heart…

 

The LORD is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked came against me

To eat up my flesh,

My enemies and foes,

They stumbled and fell.

Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident.

One thing I have desired of the LORD,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD,

And to inquire in His temple.

For in the time of trouble

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle

He shall hide me;

He shall set me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

When You said, "Seek My face,"

My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."

Do not hide Your face from me;

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation.

When my father and my mother forsake me,

Then the LORD will take care of me.

Teach me Your way, O LORD,

And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;

For false witnesses have risen against me,

And such as breathe out violence.

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!—Psalm 27

I spent some time yesterday meditating on and praying through Psalm 27.  Each time I opened my Bible and began to read my eyes would fill with tears of gratitude for the Lord’s lovingkindness in giving us His word. Truly, He is my strong refuge, to which I may continually resort.

Sounds good so far, right?  Sadly, just before bed last night, instead of reading Psalm 27, I stupidly clicked on an article that outlined all that the writer felt was wrong in our government and in our world.  Here is the thing…even though the article said nothing new…nothing that I wasn’t already aware of, it didn’t matter.  By the time I finished reading that “barrage of awfulness”, I was just about catatonic with fear.  If ever I needed Psalm 27’s exhortation to trust, it was then.  

Beloved…God is so faithful.  It was at that moment, right when I needed them the most, that the words of Psalm 27 filled my mind and I was able to walk in faith not fear.  My heart took courage as the Spirit of God used David’s song to strengthen my heart.  

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!—Psalm 27:12-14

The rest of the evening was spent watching the the heavens declare the glory of God through the lunar eclipse.  My sleep was sweet. 

With that said, Psalm 27 seems to be broken into three parts. Verses 1-3 speak to David’s complete confidence in his God. Verses 4-6 speak of David’s love and fellowship with Him, and verses 7-12 are dedicated to prayer. The last two verses, which were the ones that God’s Spirit brought to mind last night, seem to be David exhorting himself and his listeners to trust God, despite how things might look in the present moment.  For me it was a reminder of the power and sustaining nature of faith.  A timely prompt from the Spirit of God not to lose heart but to keep on continuously believing. 

Praying today that come what may, I, like David, would honor God with my faith. That God would give me that one desire above all other desires:

One thing I have desired of the LORD,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the LORD

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the LORD,

And to inquire in His temple.—Psalm 27:4-5

My soul, wait silently for God alone,

For my expectation is from Him.

He only is my rock and my salvation;

He is my defense;

I shall not be moved.

In God is my salvation and my glory;

The rock of my strength,

And my refuge, is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Selah—Psalm 62:5-8

His Compassions Fail Not…

 

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.—Lamentations 3:22-23

The Thompson Chain Reference Bible defines mercy this way:

A form of love, especially directed toward the needy or unworthy.

I don’t know about you but that describes me…needy and unworthy. Our God is merciful. He does not give us the punishment we have earned and deserve.  It is through His mercies…His kindness, His favor…that we are not consumed. 

He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has 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.—Psalm 103:10-14

His compassions fail not. These are the words my heart has been camping out on over the past few days.  Inside were fears, outside were conflicts but nevertheless my God’s compassions…His tender love, His pity…toward me, fail not.  Even when I am unfaithful, He remains faithful. No matter what my circumstances, God’s steadfast love toward me, His needy and unworthy child, never ceases. Like the waves upon the seashore, His gifts keep on coming.  When hopelessness threatens, the hope that I have in Him does not dim.  It is sure and certain. Nothing can separate me from His love. 

Beloved…take these four words of God and allow them to sink down into the depths of your soul.  When trouble and trial inevitably come, do what Jeremiah did here…Recall them to mind. His compassions fail not.  

Place your hope and your trust in the LORD.  For with the LORD is love without limits and faithfulness that reaches to the sky.  With the Lord, there is mercy and with Him is abundant redemption.  The never-ending supply of God’s grace and compassion caused Jeremiah to cry out in praise of God’s faithfulness. (Vs23) He follows with these words:

"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,

"Therefore I hope in Him!"

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the LORD.—Lamentations 24-25

*******

Therefore I will look to the LORD;

I will wait for the God of my salvation;

My God will hear me.—Micah 7:7

My flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.—Psalm 73:26

Hymn of My Heart…

 

So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.

—Judges 6:6

The answer for every problem, every fear and every heartache in this world is always the Lord.   I confess I can be so stubborn at times...like a young unteachable child really...how many times has He heard my cry and answered.  How many times has He sent His divine protection, His divine deliverance, His divine wisdom, His divine comfort to my heart and yet I still forget.  I go and attempt to face the day in my own strength.  I forget I am weak, insufficient and very flawed!  I FORGET I need Him. Oh Father, forgive me!   So thankful for your forgiving, unchanging, steadfast, faithful love that never leaves me or forsakes me.  Write these verses on my heart, Father, may the words of Psalm 34 become the hymn of my heart!

I will bless the LORD at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make its boast in the LORD;

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

Oh, magnify the LORD with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

I sought the LORD, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!—Psalm 34:1-8

The Mere Edges of His Ways…

 

But Job answered and said:

"How have you helped him who is without power?

How have you saved the arm that has no strength?

How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?

And how have you declared sound advice to many?

To whom have you uttered words?

And whose spirit came from you?—Job 26:1-4

We find Job rebuking Bildad in the first four verses of this chapter for his lack of concern for him, showing that all his friends’ “knowledgeable words” completely missed the point of his need and had been no help. Their words were hurtful rather than encouraging. No matter what their intentions they lacked love and were but clanging cymbals.

Job then goes on to say how no one escapes the eye of God. No matter where you are...God sees. There is nowhere you can flee from His Spirit...earth, sky, waters below or stars above...not even the dead can escape. The final verse of this chapter tells us that we only see the mere edges of His ways....that we hear only a small whisper of Him.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,

And how small a whisper we hear of Him!

But the thunder of His power who can understand?"—Job 26:14

Job’s words here in these first four verses pointed me to Jesus.  Even though I may only see the mere edges of His ways what comes through loud and clear in those “edges” is His love for us, His children. These verses from the gospel of Luke came to mind as I read Job’s words.

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."—Luke 4:16-21

Beloved…Read the gospels and see the heart of the Father in Heaven for His people. His desire is to heal. His desire is that none of us should perish, but that all would come to life in His Son. God the Father could have annihilated us, but instead He sent His Son to die for us. Our words and our actions here on earth should reflect the essence and character of our Father in Heaven. His heart of love should be evident to all we meet. Job's “comforters” missed mercy, they missed grace and they missed love.  Don’t be like them. 

Love those around you with the love that the Holy Spirit has shed abroad in your hearts. As you speak to them, remember love. Remember humility. Meet them at their point of need.  God’s love never fails.  

None of us sees the whole picture while we walk the earth. 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 says

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!—Romans 11:33