Undeserved Love

Imagine being loved in spite of the wrong we do and in spite of how insignificant or small we feel.  It's hard to imagine because in our human relationships, we want people to earn our love.  We expect that others will do things for us, say the right things to us or treat us in a way that deserves our love. 

BUT GOD!  He exemplifies a crazy love for us that truly is hard for our minds to grasp.  After all, He sent His son down to Earth to experience a pure, sinless life and then to die a cruel death so that we could be free of trying to live a life of perfection.  Thanks be to God that I don't have to be perfect.  Thanks be to God that there's nothing that I can do to make Him not love me anymore.  Thanks be to God that I cannot do anything that would make him love me any more or any less than He already does. 

Why then would I not want to live a life worshiping Him, dancing with joy in His presence and loving those around me -- even those who don't deserve it?  How can I not be in awe of the love that He chooses to show me?  How can I not at least try to emulate the love that He has for me to those in my life? 

In my readings through the Old Testament, I find myself now in 2 Samuel reading about David.  At this point (I'm in chapter 7), David has become king over all of Israel, he has moved the Ark of God to the City of David, David has established himself as King and as a lover of the Lord, and he has had many battles with the Philistines.  David's life is very interesting up until this point because he was just a little boy chosen by God to one day replace Saul as King.  He has been promised by God in 2 Samuel 7:12-15 that "[his] house and [his] kingdom will endure forever before [God] and; [his] throne will be established forever."  I think this is also a foreshadowing to Jesus coming and Him suffering for all of us.  Nathan, the prophet, is explaining to David that those who believe in Him will never lose God's love.  There is nothing at all that they could do to lose it. 

David's response to Nathan's revelation is one of pure humility, realizing that he is totally unworthy of God doing so much for Him.  After all, God has helped him tremendously by leading Him to defeat the Philistines over and over again, building Him a kingdom, and now promising that Jesus (His son) will come from David's lineage.  Furthermore, God has given David a wisdom that far surpasses most. 

I love that David remains humble and not greedy.  He recognizes that all that he has is undeserved and because of God.  In the chapter before, he is dancing with joy through the streets because the Ark of God is safe in the City of David.  He rejoices without shame!  What sticks out most to me is that as king, David glorifies God!  He takes the life that God has given him and serves God with all his heart.  He recognizes that God has given him his power, his stuff, his kingdom and his strength... and he rejoices in front of everyone!

My prayer as I finish up my last semester at Wesleyan and enter my next stage of life as a missionary is that God would grow me in rejoicing without shame, just like David!  While God made David a king, he has made me a teacher with a servant's heart.  All that I do is in His name!  I pray that each day I understand that my strength is His.  I pray that I am humbled before Him, always in awe of His immense power and the undeserved love that He extends to me each day in the gifts that He has given me.  And, I pray that those whom I am serving would draw closer to the Lord through me.