Time, Grace, Food and a Cup of Cold Water

“The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalm 14:2-3 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23

It is a good thing, when a baby cries to let its mother know it is in need of food, a diaper change or just the touch of another human being. But as the baby grows, they begin to understand that they can use that cry to control others until at the age of two they are shouting “Mine!” and “No!” and “Give me…!” Some grow through that and become less demanding, some do not. But we all maintain a good dose of self-focus. And our culture adds to the problem by teaching us to always ask, “What’s in it for me?”

For some who come to Christ, the change is dramatic – at least at first. For many, it is not as obvious. But those who walk with God, who spend time reading his Word and meditating on it, who allow the Holy Spirit to speak into their lives, are on a journey that takes a lifetime, and while the changes may not be noticeable at first, snapshots through the years show a continuing maturing in Christ. As we study and get to know the heart of God, we become more like that heart. We ask ourselves, “What is it that is important to God?” because that is what needs to become important to us.

David is studying God’s heart in Psalm 15. “Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellow man, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.” Psalm 15:1-5

Generally, people who do not feel loved show no love to others. Instead, they continue to demand from others to fill their need to be loved. And if that need is not met on some level, they become angry people out to hurt others. Unfortunately, other human beings are not capable of perfect love. We always fall short. Even those we love most we let down from time to time.

But David found perfect love in his Lord. “Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:5-11

David found his strength, his joy, his pleasure and his security in the Lord. As I find my security in the Lord and draw from his perfect love that never runs out, I am free to love others. I am not so concerned with whether my needs are being met because my Father meets all of my needs according to his glorious riches (Philippians 4:19). And I become more like the righteous person David describes in Psalm 15. I don’t get there because I decide I’m going to be good and just do it. I get there because of God’s grace. “…and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:24 Jesus was the ultimate expression of God’s love for us. Through Jesus, God has made a way for us to be with him forever.

Spending time with God shows me how much I am loved and what his grace has done for me. When I know I am so loved by him, I cannot help but love others and begin to have more grace with them. In my mind, that is what maturing in our faith is all about… understanding the heart of God and becoming more like him. When I understand how much he loves me and has to give me, I don’t need to hoard what I have but can freely share – time, grace, food, and a cup of cold water to the thirsty.