{"id":1372,"date":"2010-12-19T01:50:08","date_gmt":"2010-12-19T01:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/12\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-where-is-gods-unfailing-love.html"},"modified":"2010-12-19T01:50:08","modified_gmt":"2010-12-19T01:50:08","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-where-is-gods-unfailing-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/12\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-where-is-gods-unfailing-love.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Where is God’s Unfailing Love?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where is God’s Unfailing Love?<\/h1>\n
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\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
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Psalm 89:1-52<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\nLord, where is your unfailing love?
\n     You promised it to David with a faithful pledge.<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n<\/div>\n

Psalm 89:49<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
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\nToday is the fourth Sunday of Advent, a day to remember how much we
\nneed the Lord and his love. Psalm 89 helps us get in touch with our
\nyearning for God.<\/p>\n

\tIf you were to read only the first 37 verses of Psalm 89, you’d
\nthink it was an exuberant song of praise to God for anointing David as
\nIsrael’s glorious and permanent king (through his descendants). Yet, if
\nyou were to read only the next 14 verses, you’d consider Psalm 89 to be a
\nsad lament that seems to question God’s faithfulness. As verse 49
\nreads, “Lord, where is your unfailing love? You promised it to David
\nwith a faithful pledge.” But now God’s anger with his “anointed king”
\nhas led to divine rejection (89:38). “You have ended his splendor and
\noverturned his throne” (89:44). Though the writer of Psalm 89 surely
\nyearns for God to remember his unfailing love and deliver Israel from
\ndevastation, he fills the closing verses of his psalm not with requests
\nfor help but with laments and accusations. Then he adds the unexpected
\nfinal verse: “Praise the LORD forever! Amen and amen!” (89:52).<\/p>\n

\tPsalm 89 helps us to enter more deeply into the spirit of Advent. It
\nreminds us of God’s promises to David, promises that seemed to be
\nforgotten when Israel became subject to foreign rulers. It underscores
\nthe pain of God’s people as they experienced domination, suffering, and
\ndisgrace. Psalm 89 expresses the sad history and yearning of the Jews
\nwho still hoped that God would fulfill his promise to David by sending
\nan anointed king to deliver Israel and reestablish God’s kingdom.
\nIndeed, this king would call the Lord “Father” and would be known as
\nGod’s “son” (89:26-27).<\/p>\n

\tThough our life settings differ from that of the Jews who first used
\nPsalm 89 to express their longing for God’s salvation, many of us can
\nrelate to the mix of celebration and lament in Psalm 89. We have been
\nblessed richly by God’s grace in our lives. Yet some of what we had
\nexpected turned out poorly. Perhaps your “perfect job” became a
\nnightmare. Or your teenage children rejected their faith and chose to
\nlive in a way that weighs heavily on your heart. Or your “secure”
\nretirement income evaporated in the economic crisis. Or a loved one was
\ndiagnosed with serious cancer. Or . . . you name it. Like the writer of
\nPsalm 89, we often find ourselves thanking God for his goodness and, at
\nthe same time, wondering where his goodness went. We yearn for God’s
\ngrace to reappear, so that we might be delivered from our difficulties.
\nThis yearning, whether in the hearts of Jews centuries ago, or in our
\nhearts today, captures the core of Advent.<\/p>\n

\tQUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:<\/strong> In what ways have
\nyou experienced God’s abundant blessings? How has God not done what you
\nexpected? What are your deepest yearnings for God’s help?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

\nPRAYER:<\/strong> Dear Lord, thank you for Psalm 89. It models
\nfor us exuberant praise. It encourages us to remember your goodness and
\nto offer extensive thanks for all you have done.<\/p>\n

\tYet this psalm also reminds us of our disappointment in you, our
\nquestions, our aching cries for mercy. Even though we have been
\nwondrously blessed by you, our lives have not gone as we had expected.
\nYour faithful love to us seems somehow to have gotten lost in
\ntranslation. Thank you for giving us this psalm, which invites us to
\npour out our hearts to you both in praise and in lament.<\/p>\n

\tIn this season of Advent, may we become more aware of our yearning
\nfor you. May our hearts ache for more of your presence. Make yourself
\nand your goodness known to us afresh, O Lord.<\/p>\n

\tThough our lives are far from perfect, and though we sometimes
\nwonder where you are and what you’re doing-or not doing-nevertheless, we
\nacknowledge you as God. Thus we pray as in the closing verse of Psalm
\n89: “Praise the LORD forever! Amen and amen!<\/em>“<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . .<\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling: Everyday Conversations about Work, Life, and God <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. The High Calling<\/i> is associated with Laity Lodge, where I work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where is God’s Unfailing Love? Psalm 89:1-52 Lord, where is your unfailing love?      You promised it to David with a faithful pledge. Psalm 89:49 Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, a day to remember how much we need the Lord and his love. Psalm 89 helps us get in touch with our yearning…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[198,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advent","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Where is God's Unfailing Love? - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1372"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1372\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}