Sometimes I wonder what God was thinking. Why did he create us? You see every day, we do things that are contrary to his nature. Contrary to his purpose for us. We even attempt to replace him with something different, yet God persists. As I wonder why, I am drawn to Psalm 136. Its author has taken the time to identify why and how God works.
To start, we must think about who God is. The Psalmist reminds us that He is good. He is the God of God and Lord of Lords. He does great wonders and created the heavens. He made the earth, the lights, the sun and the moon. He ordered them perfectly. He struck Israel’s enemy and delivered them into freedom. He is mighty and caring at the same time, able to part an entire sea. He uses this miraculous work to protect those he loves and to destroy to their enemies. He led his people through the wilderness, striking down and killing great and mighty kings. He takes their territory and gives it to those who love him. He doesn’t care about his servants position, high or low. He cares and provides for us in every situation.
These are powerful words about our great God and his abilities. If you are like me, you ask why. Why would this God do such things for us? More directly, why would he do them for me? He knows that I am unruly and rebellious. The Psalmist gets it right with one simple word. Love. In my attempt to define what love is, I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. It says,
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
Yes this describes God’s love for us. In fact, God is so patient, so kind, so caring that he sent his own son, to live among us. You see, real love doesn’t sit on the throne looking down. Real love comes along side us. Real love is personal. Real love is messy. This is why Jesus was born. This is why he is called Emmanuel. It means “God with us.”
His love endures forever!
Emmanuel – God With US , Mercy Me