Proverbs 19:22. What is desired in a man is steadfast love…
Steadfast love is the rich Hebrew word, hesed. The covenant, faithful, loyal, love, mercy, and kindness that is most often used to describe God.
Psalm 136:1. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Clearly the point being made by today’s proverb is that those bound by covenant to God himself can have this same kind of steadfast love for one another. Only those experiencing God’s hesed can begin to show that same mercy and kindness to their fellow man. And because the Israelites were experiencing the steadfast love of God, his covenant faithfulness, it was reasonable to desire that same kind of love from one another.
Isn’t that what all of us are looking for from a friend? Steadfast, loyal, faithful, love. Is that too much to ask? The proverbs don’t think it is.
And neither does Christ in you. In Christ, not only do we have the steadfast love of God demonstrated to us perfectly in the cross, but by our union with Christ we have the steadfast love of God poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:5. God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Is it fair for Christians to desire that the love of God be shown to them by other believers? Is it normal for church members to expect kindness, grace, and faithfulness from one another? Is it reasonable for Christ and the Apostles to command us to love one another as Christ does the church, and for pastors and elders to expect this from their congregation?
Of course it is. In Christ, it is a holy expectation to desire the love of God to flow out of the people of God, and to flow out of yourself too.
So let me ask you, is this the grace empowered expectation that you place on yourself, that the loyal love of Christ will be my default response? That your greatest desire for yourself is that the love of Jesus be displayed in your life? Your words. Your deeds. Your attitudes. Your actions.
Christian, your desire for love is forever perfectly met in Christ, this is true. You also have every right to desire love from others, especially those that also claim Christ’s love as their own. Of course, you also have every responsibility to put on the love of Christ and let it meet the desire for love of those around you. That’s what the Christ living in you wants to do today more than anything else, love others through you.
Colossians 3:14. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
You: In what ways do you desire love from others? In what ways do others desire love from you?
You in Christ: In Christ you have all the love of God poured into your heart. How does this truth empower your love for others?
Christ in you: How can you allow Jesus to love others through you today?
Pray: Father, your very own hesed lives in me. Now let it live through me as I submit my desires to Christ. Amen.
To Live is Christ 