Love Covers Over
This aspect of God's character has been drawing me in. Revelations come like single musical notes. Words and concepts are the notes. As my sheer joy in the beauty of our God rises within me, notes form a harmony, which end in a crescendo of awe inspiring magnitude.
God's love is overwhelming!
Layered, deep, devastatingly beautiful and it covers us!
There is a curious story in Genesis Chapter 9.
I wondered why it was included at all?
I didn't understand it at first!
The bible is unique in that it shows all of human weaknesses and frailties.
Noah had obeyed God, when all around him scoffed. In great faith and faithfulness, he had built the ark as God instructed. God had saved Noah and his family and Noah had witnessed the first ever rainbow as a sign of the covenant between God and man.
Then Noah plants a vineyard and then he becomes drunk on wine and lies naked in his tent. His son Ham walks in, and on seeing his father's nakedness, he runs off to tell his brothers about their father's shame.
Shem and Japheth walk into the tent backwards and cover their Father, secretly and silently, so as not to cause their Father even a moment of embarrassment or discomfort.
They were blessed for their actions but Ham was cursed.
But what did Ham do wrong?
After all he had only reported the truth about their father's shameful situation! In exposing his father's sin, he had brought a curse upon his own head.
Why?
Because,
Love covers over!
Love does not seek to expose the weaknesses of others.
Love is a soft blanket of grace which covers our imperfections and indiscretions.
The way of the world is to uncover and expose.
The way of the world is to name and blame and shame!
Hatred, stores up conflict,
But love covers all wrongs.
Proverbs 10 v 12
Whoever would foster love, covers over an offense,
But whoever repeats the matter, separates close friends.
Proverbs 17 v 9
Above all, love each other deeply,
Because love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4 v 8
Blessed is the one whose sins are covered.
Romans 4 v 7
He has cast our sins into the depths of the sea.
Micah 7 v 9
God knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103 v 14.
He knows that we are helpless and hopeless without Him.
The bible is full of epic failures!
We are all damaged goods in a spoiled, enemy occupied world!
Yet still, His love covers us.
You forgave the iniquity of your people,
And covered all their sins.
Psalm 85 v 2
Now I'm not speaking of criminal activities, but of everyday differences, slights and offenses.
It is so easy to take offence, even by the tone of someone's voice, their absent mindedness, their manners or body language.
We need to forgive these little offenses, cover them over with the blanket of grace.
It is said that,
The first to apologise is the bravest,
The first to forgive is the strongest.
and the first to forget is the happiest!
Holding grudges steals our joy!
If we are seeking our own glory, or man's approval by exposing the guilt of others,
we are acting as though there is simply, not enough love to go around!
As if God's love could ever run out!
There is more than enough.
God's love is, infinate, immeasurable, inexhaustible and immense.
God's storehouse of goodness will never be emptied out!
Psalm 31 v 19
Fear teaches us that love is measured and performance based, but Gods love is unconditional, unfathomable!
As the song says, before I spoke a word He was singing over me. " Oh the overwhelming, never ending, reckless love of God. "
Before we breathed a breath, we were loved. Our sins were forgiven on the cross, before we were even born!
The Hebrew word for Love is Hesed.
It's meaning is so deep that it cannot be translated into one English word.
It encompasses loving kindness, goodness and steadfast love.
It is mentioned 250 times in the Old Testament alone.
In her book " Walking in the dust of Rabbi Jesus" Lois Tverberg calls it,
A rock solid faithfulness that endures to eternity.
Hesed is a love so enduring that it persists beyond any sin or betrayal to mend brokenness and graciously extend forgiveness.
( Walking in the dust of Rabbi Jesus. Lois Tverberg.)
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed,
Yet my unfailing love for you, will not be shaken.
Isaiah 54 v 10
How sweet is the Love of our Father ❤️❤️
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ReplyDeleteAmen and thank you so much for your encouragement Sonia it means so much 💜
ReplyDeleteThank you my friend
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