How would you rather want God to deal with you, according to his law or according to his love? Easy question, eh? If God deals with us according to his law we would all be on the receiving end of a mighty smite. If, however, God deals with us according to his love then we become objects of mercy.
How would you rather deal with God, according to your law or according to your love? Harder question, eh? If we deal with God according to our law we will never accept who God is and what God wants for us. If we deal with God according to our love then we will pursue him and yearn for his ways.
Though we want love, it’s often not easy for us to give love. Love demands effort and energy, selfless devotion and untiring attention. Even as our eyes fail, we must still look for God in love.
psalm 119:121-128
I have done what is righteous and just;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
Ensure your servant’s well-being;
let not the arrogant oppress me.
My eyes fail, looking for your salvation,
looking for your righteous promise.
Deal with your servant according to your love
and teach me your decrees.
I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may understand your statutes.
It is time for you to act, O LORD;
your law is being broken.
Because I love your commands
more than gold, more than pure gold,
and because I consider all your precepts right,
I hate every wrong path.
Awesome reflection, Andrew. I’d change some of my wording on the post after reading your comment. Thanks!
I understand completely the desire to be dealt with fairly by God- according to his Law and according to our guilt. We all have fallen short… and earned death.
But the gift of God is eternal life because of Jesus. I’m so thankful for that. As a result, we can truly learn to love God’s decrees- and pursue after them. Until we are dealt with according to God’s love, I think we aren’t able to freely love God’s commands.
Thanks for getting me thinking deeper, Andrew.
Interesting. I am afraid that I might disagree with you though Ken. I have found that many times I feel like I would much rather have God deal with me through his Law as I am so fully aware of the horrible state of my wretched existence. On the other hand, at times it also seems like his mercy is too much. How could he possibly be able to grant me clemency after everything that I do outside of that which is His Law?
On a more theoretical level, I think that God’s Law is love, so when He deals one, he deals both. Judgement, Justice, etc. tempered by grace, mercy and above all love. I also remember something about us loving the law not too long ago, even within this very passage. Should we really ask for love without Law? The passage you quoted needs to have both lines highlighted, I think. “Deal with your servant according to your love AND teach me your decrees.” Just an observation.