Strength in gentleness.
One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.
~Psalm 62:11-12a (NIV84)
This verse from the Psalms has long been a favorite. I would have found it when I was a teenager since that was when I was reading from the 1984 NIV. I love how different versions of the Bible emphasize different things for me. I love the New Kings James Version for its poetic language, the ESV for its technicality, the Message for its fresh perspectives, and the New Living Translation for its modern-day usage. Right now, I tend to read first from the Christian Standard Bible; specifically, I'm reading the She Reads Truth version because it's pretty and has lots of space for my notes.
None of these versions, though, including the 2011 NIV, have translated this particular verse from the Psalms the same way. The ESV says, "…to You, O Lord, belongs steadfast love." The NKJV says, "…to You, O Lord, belongs mercy…" Both are beautiful and reveal wonderful aspects of God's personality. These two versions tell us that we can find steadfast love and mercy in God. I need to know that.
The NIV84, though, tells me God is loving.
In 1 John, we find one of the apostle John's letters, and he commands us to love one another because love comes from God (4:7 CSB). He says, "The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love" (4:8). God reveals Himself and His love "…in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (4:9b-10).
Give me a moment’s grace as I’m going down the English teacher route for a minute. Love is a noun. God is love. This tells me who God is. Loving, in this case, is an adjective. God is loving. This tells me what God is like. Loves is a verb. This tells me what God does. God loves us, and He shows us this love by sending His Son Jesus into the world to die for our sins so that we can have life in Him.
Since early Sunday school, I learned that Jesus loves me, and through reading 1 John, I learned God is love. But I don't always think about the fact that God is loving. There is a slightly different connotation here for me. When I think of God as loving, I think of Him being more tender and caring. He is gentle, and, for me, more like a father.
I have been fortunate to have a wonderful human father, and I regularly thank God for his presence in my life. My dad is loving. He holds me when I cry and listens when I complain about whatever irritated me at work today. He makes me laugh and lets me make jokes in return. I can tell him my fears and reveal my insecurities without fearing any sort of reprisal. I can be more of myself without any masks or facades with him. My dad is not perfect, but he has been an earthly shadow of a heavenly reality for me.
Sometimes, I need to remember that God is loving. I get so wrapped up in my own head or the problems in our world, and I forget. There are many times when I am so frustrated with myself that I do not need another person pointing out my obvious failings. I need the gentleness of God and His love. But please, do not mistake me; this is merely one aspect of God and only one aspect of His love.
Psalm 62 tells us God is both strong and loving. There is strength in God’s love for us. He was strong enough to send His Son to earth and let Him die for our sins. He was strong enough to do the unimaginable out of love for us. He is strong enough to wait for us to come to Him because He does not want any to perish (2 Pet. 3:9).
So, what do you need to be reminded of today? God’s strength? God’s loving gentleness? A little bit of both? Don’t be afraid to give God your heart today, give Him a chance to reveal Himself to you and meet your needs. The beautiful thing about God, He will show up, every single time.
