Priceless Love

Reading: Psalm 36
Words are cheap these days. We can’t guarantee their meaning any more.

Years ago, a certain brand of washing powder added the word "new" to their packet. They had probably changed their recipe. Then for many years the word "new" remained, though it wasn’t "new" any more!

These days products are advertised as the "ultimate". That used to mean that this was the end of the line - there never could be any further advance and nothing could ever be better. Now the inference is simply that the product is good and that hopefully you will believe it is better than the others. The manufacturers are already planning improvements.

Another word that has been "cheapened" is "priceless". The principal meaning has been "of inestimable worth, beyond valuation, invaluable". It is now so often used simply to mean "extremely amusing or ridiculous".

The Psalmist says, "your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies... How priceless is your unfailing love" (Ps. 36.5,7a).

The Hebrew word translated "love" (v. 5 - and v. 10) and "unfailing love" (v. 7) speaks of "goodness, loving-kindness". When used of God it is especially his "covenant love" - God’s special relationship with those who are bound to him as his committed and believing people.

The word translated "priceless" means "precious, rare, splendid, weighty".

The Psalm begins with an oracle "concerning the sinfulness of the wicked". "There is no fear of God before his eyes. For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin" (vv. 1-2).

There is a proper and healthy "fear of God" - the knowledge that God is the final authority and the Judge of all.

God wants to reach us on the basis of his goodness, his loving- kindness, his covenant love... God always intended to enter into a relationship with humankind. We aren’t meant to be separated from him. To experience his judgment is a consequence of human sin, not God’s original intention.

God means us to know his priceless unfailing love - finding "refuge in the shadow of your wings", feasting "on the abundance of your house", drinking "from your river of delights" (vv. 7b-8). This is life as it is meant to be.

"For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light" (v. 9). God is the very source of life and light.

Priceless unfailing love. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (Jn 3.16).

On the cross, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Lk. 23.34a). God’s priceless, unfailing love is offered even to the wicked. He includes - even us!
Prayer: Eternal Father, how magnificent your creation! How great your love! Forgive us where we have defaced your beauty and usurped your Rule. In your priceless unfailing love, you sent your Son Jesus to be our Saviour, Lord and Friend. The cruel means by which we rejected him you took as the very means by which our human sin can be forgiven. Even as your priceless unending love reaches down to embrace us, we reach up in undeserving faith to receive your embrace. Thank you, Lord, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Priceless

Awesome
beyond imagining -
the Sovereign Lord
flung stars
into their places,
creating
order
out of chaos,
majesty
and beauty,
power -
and life!
Yes, life -
even life
in his image,
designed
to know
and love
and trust him.

Tragic
beyond understanding -
we chose
our own way
of autonomy
disconnected
from our source
of life.
We chose
death.

Awesome
beyond imagining -
this same
persistent Lord
with unabated love
sent his own Son
to the rebel race
that had snatched
his Rule,
sent him
to teach,
to heal,
to love...
to be broken
to redeem
those whose sin
had broken him!

Awesome
priceless
unfailing
love!


© Peter J. Blackburn, Burdekin BlueCare Devotions, 16 March 2004.
Except where otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, © International Bible Society, 1984.

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