Those Who Love the Lord

Have you ever felt like loving God is just in vain?

 Have you ever felt like living for Him just don't make sense at all?

Loving God? What's the point? Life is nothing but a dilemma; mountains over mountains! Why does living for God have to be in a narrow road? Why does it take tons of crosses to bear? Why does it have to be so hard?

As I grow in my relationship with God, I am learning how to set my heart completely to God; I established a desire to fall constantly in love with Jesus. In order to get a glimpse of this constant sweet surrender, I wanted to know how it looks like by closely perceiving the life of a man who loved God ideally: King David, the man after God's own heart. (Acts 13:22)

Reading through Psalms is fun! I have been meditating on these passages lately. Here I see a man who is deeply in love with God and who has an unbelievable intimacy with Him. This intimacy gave David the boldness and confidence to communicate to God in the most honest, most vulnerable and most straightforward way. In the course of more than hundred chapters of Psalms, many times have I seen David desperately questioned God about His faithfulness and assertively commanded Him what to do in his struggles. "Please, Lord rescue me! Quick! Come and help me!" (Psalm 40:13) Not to mention the awkward, consistent self-contradictions that David has to face chapter by chapter. One example is these two consecutive chapters in Psalm 21 and 22. David started praising God, "How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! How he exults in your salvation. For You have given him his heart's desire, everything he asks You for." (Psalm 21:1). But as soon as the next chapter started, he ironically complained to God, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why do You refuse to help me or even to listen to my groans." (Psalm 22:1) Didn't he just literally negate his preceding statement? However, we don't know the span of time between those two chapters.

Although we are God's own people - chosen ones - we are not immuned to the perplexity of life. We can count on the overwhelming struggles, abounding trials, escalating distractions and sprouting choices we have to face everyday. So, we can not deny the fact that we can be like David at times; as quickly as a lighted candle melts, our trust, hope and focus dissipate in the cascade of overflowing testings. It is natural to react that way especially when our fear begins to creep in, our sight begins to look at the waves, our cognition begins to not understand. Why do we have to go through all of this? Where is God who promised to be there with us? Why are we, people who only want to obey and love God, overwhelmed, beaten and overcome?

Sometimes, everything just comes down to no sense at all. In spite of the fact that we all just want to love, obey and follow God, we reach to a point where we think that these desires are futile and in vain due to the extremety of our adversities. One time, David bursted out his cries to God in full desperation. "And yet for a time, O Lord, You have tossed us aside in dishonor and have not helped us in our battles. And all this happened, Lord, despite our loyalty to You. We have not violated Your 
covenant. Our hearts have not deserted You! We have not left Your path by a single step. If we had, we could understand You punishing us in the barren wilderness and sending us into darkness and death. If we had turned away from worshiping our God and were worshiping idols, would God know it? Yes, He knows the secrets of every heart, But that is not our case. For we are facing death threats constantly because of serving You. We are like sheeps awaiting slaughter." (Psalm 44: 9, 17-22)

For some reasons, we are so caught up by our troubles and God's promises are so hard to believe. Like David, we are being chased by countless enemies like physical and spiritual sickness, indebtedness, and bewilderment. All these things happened despite our loyalty to God. However, however, God's Word remains as true as who He is. And David continued to speak his way into the truth! He still believed even when it's hard to believe. He held on to God because he knows that apart from God, there is really no hope left. This verses also encourage me.

"None of those who have faith in God will ever be disgraced for trusting Him. Oh, let it be never be said that I trusted You in vain." ~Psalm 25:3, 19

David still believe that it will all make sense! The beauty in all these testings is that God Himself brought us to every storm in life; however, He also equiped and clothed us with this unquenchable, devouring and consuming faith, hope and trust in our hearts that can never be extinguished by any catastrophy. God later on showed His heart and spoke, "No, I don't need your sacrifices of flesh and blood. What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you and you can give me glory. But true praise is a worthy sacrifice; this really honors me. Those who walk  my paths will receive salvation from the Lord." -Psalm 50:13-15, 23

"The heart of God loves a persevering worshiper who, though overwhelmed by many troubles, is even more overwhelmed with the beauty of God." ~Matt Redman

On our knees we came to realize that God Himself never changes even when all things are. We then learn that in these tunnels of testings, being obedient in waiting and perseverant in patience are the keys to fully embrace God's glory; His Presence. His presence in the moments on hardship is the silverlining reward, exceeding peace and sufficient answer!

And to those who love the Lord, God promises us beautiful things.

• "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28

• "You have endowed him with eternal happiness. You have given him the unquenchable joy of Your Presence. And because the King trusts in the Lord, he will never stumble, never fall; for he depends upon the steadfast love of God who is above all gods." ~Psalm 21:6-7

• "But the eyes of the Lord are watching over those who fear Him, who rely upon His steady love. He will keep them from death even in times of famine!" ~Psalm 33:19

• "If you belong to the Lord, reverence Him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs. Even the strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing." ~Psalm 34:9-10

• "Day by day the Lord observes the good deeds done by godly men, and gives them eternal rewards. He cares for them when are hard; even in times of famine, they will have enough." ~Psalm 37:18-19

• "I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsakes a man who loves Him; nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry." ~Psalm 37:25

• "No mere man has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord." ~1 Corinthians 2:9

I am not done yet reading through Psalm but God has been encouraging my heart so much knowing that He honors all I do for Him and all the love I have for Him. So even when things are not well, even when it gets harder, I am still willing to say,

"Jesus, throw everything you want to throw at me! Big or small, I welcome it. Break me, wreck me, tear me apart all You want. But one thing will remain certain in my soul; I love You, no matter what!"


I am able and willing to stay true and faithful because He remains true and faithful to me regardless of my feelings and perception towards Him. He is that good! In addition, I know everything is gonna come with a price, it is not going to be in vain. For the Word says,

"Don't be impatient for the Lord to act! Keep traveling steadily along His pathway and in due season he will honor you with every blessing, and you will see the wicked destroyed. But the good man - the blameless, the upright, the man of peace - he has a wonderful future ahead of him. For him there is a happy ending." ~Psalm 37:37

It is all going to be worth it in the end. God will finish what He started in us. He is faithful and just.  He is honoring our hearts and in His kindness, He leaves us with this promise in light of our unquenchable love to Him that stays true in the midst of everything.

"For the Lord says, 'Because he loves Me, I will rescue him; I will make him great because he trusts in my Name. When he calls on Me, I will answer; I will be with him in trouble and rescue him and honor him. I will satisfy him with a full life and give him my salvation." ~Psalm 91:14-15