(Friends: Most Saturdays for the duration of this year, I plan on sharing a message that relates to the character and nature of God, and our response thereunto. I hope you will find it helpful, and as always, thanks for allowing us to send the devotionals to you. Glen).
The Saturday Series - 36
God's character qualities perfectly align with one another. His goodness fits perfectly with His holiness. His grace unites with His truth. His tendermercies exist in complete correlation with His justice.
"Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10).
This coordination in the nature of God empowers His holiness and faithfulness. If it were possible for conflict to exist between any two aspects of God's being, He could not act in the purity of intent and manner that led David to declare, "As for God, His way is perfect" (II Samuel 22:31). We must realize and affirm this wondrous integrity of the Divine character and nature. God is never conflicted, as it were, regarding any course of action. Even when He changes His mind, as Scripture occasionally records, His response does not imply any realization of having been in error due to poor judgment (Exodus 32:14; Psalm 106:45). The Lord's redirected course of action rather reflects genuine relationship with human beings. Thereby, our repentant and faithful actions sometimes lead to God's gracious and merciful response. "If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them" (Jeremiah 18:8).
A God perfectly and eternally at peace with Himself can bring rest to our often conflicted hearts and minds. We do not presently share the holiness of completely united character qualities. Believers rather exist in an ongoing maturing whereby we must grow in the purity of thoughts and intentions that lead to faithfulness. "Purify your hearts, ye double minded" (James 4:8). Our flesh "lusteth against the spirit" during our earthly lives, but the more we submit ourselves to God's working in us, the more we can walk with Christ-enabled sensibilities united for His glory (Galatians 5:17). Realizing our Lord's perfect character, as revealed in the sublime synchronization of all that He is, results in our purification whereby He answers the prayer of the Psalmist...
"Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name."
(Psalm 86:11)
Weekly Memory Verse
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple" (Psalm 27:4)
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