PSALM 145:18-20: “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” (ESV)
OBSERVATION: I love the promises of God! Yet, I have to confess that I have been guilty of isolating these promises to include only the verses that I like, or that I feel others would like to hear. I find this is also done often by many. You can find it daily on Facebook, in conversation, and even on pictures and plaques that you can buy at the Christian book store. No one wants to hang a plaque on their wall that says – “But all the wicked he will destroy.”
The Bible does not give us promises that only show one side of God’s nature. God is perfect love, but He is also perfectly just. As much as He will bless those who call upon His name, He will come to judge those who deny Him and follow after wickedness. These verses in Psalms remind us of this truth. You cannot only see God as one dimensional, picking the dimension that you desire. God is God. If He does not judge the wicked than He is not truly loving and merciful. To allow the wicked to go unpunished would be to deny His very nature.
Throughout Scripture the judgement of God is seen as His “strange” work. It is not the desire of His heart. The desire of His heart is that all would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth so that He could “…fulfill the desire of those who fear him;…hear their cry and save them.” In fact, the Word of God, God Himself, became flesh and dwelt among us for this very purpose. Jesus came as a man to take God’s judgment upon Himself, so that all who believe in Jesus Christ could escape the judgement of God through faith in Him. “He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord preserves all who love him…”
But, the wicked He will destroy. This is the sobering truth. God has done all to provide for man’s salvation and deliverance from death and this final judgement. As you read the Book of Revelation you see that the Lord does everything He can, even in the midst of His judgements, to call sinful man to repentance. The sad reality is few during this time do repent. Man’s heart becomes hardened and he rejects even an angel who proclaims the everlasting Gospel of truth. This is why the Bible is clear…
“For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2 ESV)
Lord, this morning I pray for all those who have not yet given their hearts to You through faith in Jesus Christ. I pray that they may turn to You in true repentance and believe. I pray that they may experience Your love, forgiveness, care, and peace. I pray that they may enter into Your abundant and everlasting life – before it is too late. Draw them to Jesus by Your Holy Spirit I pray. In Jesus Name!
