How long will you assault a man?
Would all of you throw him down-
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
….
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse. (Psalm 62: 3-4)
I don’t think King David was having a good day when he penned these words. Seeing himself as a leaning wall and a tottering fence is not a picture of self-confidence!
We all experience times where it seems people are against us. Times when warm words conceal a very different meaning.
I don’t know about you, but when I am in this position I begin to question God’s love. I begin to fear that He is also against me. David’s writings throughout the Psalms prove that he had similar battles.
But he ends Psalm 62 with these uplifting words,
One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
and that you, O Lord, are loving.
In his distress of feeling weak from the assaults of those around him, David first thought about God’s strength. And as he reflected on God’s strength, he remembered a second truth; God’s love. And I think right then David had his “ah-ha” moment, seeing the connection between God’s strength and His love.
That’s pretty awesome to think about. Many people with strength are not loving. And there are those who appear loving, but really show no strength. But God’s strength and His love go hand in hand; they cannot be separated from each other. God’s strength is expressed in His love, and His love is expressed in His strength.
That is a very good truth to hold close on those days when we, like David, feel like a leaning wall or a tottering fence.
Good analogy. It is true that most people either have strength or love, it takes the Lord to be able to meld the two to make a complete loving and strong person. I will tell on myself here as an example…. Before coming to the Lord I was MS. STRONG. Single Mom, worked 40 hours, raised a son and I might add raised him well! However there wasn’t much love as I considered that to be a sign of weakness. (my son actually got saved 3 months before me and prayed for his Mom to be saved also!) HOWEVER after October 12, 2003 the Lord softened my heart to allow me to really LOVE! And lo and behold I STILL remained the same strong person but better! Now there have been MANY times since that day where I have slipped and turned to JUST my strength. During those times I usually find that I am NOT walking with Him as I should, have to back up ask His forgiveness for myself and most of the time find myself having to ask the forgiveness of some other person who happened to feel the brunt of my nonsense. Thank you for this Mark. Good reminder. I am enjoying your writing immensely and am glad to see you sharing your God given talent.
Thanks Bonnie! Your testimony is a great reminder that God brings His strength and love together in His children.