I Still Love You

Psalm 106:40-48

40That is why the LORD’s anger burned against his people,

and he abhorred his own special possession.

41He handed them over to pagan nations,

and those who hated them ruled over them.

42Their enemies crushed them

and brought them under their cruel power.

43Again and again he delivered them,

but they continued to rebel against him,

and they were finally destroyed by their sin.

44Even so, he pitied them in their distress

and listened to their cries.

45He remembered his covenant with them

and relented because of his unfailing love.

46He even caused their captors

to treat them with kindness.

47O LORD our God, save us!

Gather us back from among the nations,

so we can thank your holy name

and rejoice and praise you.

48Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,

from everlasting to everlasting!

Let all the people say, “Amen!”

Praise the LORD!

Little Billy was acting up regularly, and his parents didn’t know what to do. They tried to punish him appropriately, but nothing seemed to work.

The family had been planning a trip to Disney World for some time. At one point Billy got his mom so exasperated that she threatened, “Keep that up and you won’t go to Disney World.” For a while the threat seemed to work. Billy was looking forward to the trip and didn’t want to jeopardize it. But eventually Billy went on another defiant streak. His parents had to follow through on their threat. They canceled the trip, making arrangements for Billy to go to a camp for troubled kids.

But Mom and Dad kept thinking about Billy the whole time. They called him every night to let him know they loved him, and when he returned, they had several gifts for him. Even though he was being punished, they wanted him to know that he was still part of the family.

That’s a picture of God with his people. He often warned them: If you reject me, things will go badly for you. And they did. Ultimately, the Babylonians overran Jerusalem and captured its citizens. But even during this punishment, the Lord “pitied them in their distress.” The stories of Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel show that God was working even within his people’s captivity, “remember[ing] his covenant” and “caus[ing] their captors to treat them with kindness.”

And I, poor sinner, cast it away;

Lived for the toil or pleasure of each day,

As if no Christ had shed His precious blood,

As if I owed no homage to my God.

HENRY W. BAKER

Notable Quotable

“Penitence is never out of place in praise, nor praise in an act of penitence.”

DEREK KIDNER