Before the Throne Wednesday

Welcome this week to another opportunity to pray scripture over your children.  I have to tell you that I come today with a heavy heart regarding a loved one.  So, as I present today's scripture, I'm praying it for my own children, but also I'm praying it for this boy who so needs to know and understand the presence and work of Almighty God in his young life.

Our scripture today is found in Psalm 119:41-42,

"May Your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, Your salvation according to your promise; then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in Your word."

Guess what the words "unfailing love" are translated in the original language?

Hesed...

God's mercy...such a rich word and something not a one of use could live one millisecond without.  Here's some of what the word hesed (unfailing love) means according to Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament and Old Testament Word Studies (I've put in bold print things I want to emphasize.):

Hesed means to be merciful, faithful.  Love, kindness, mercy.  One of the most important words in the O.T., hesed essentially denotes an act of kindness, love, or mercy.  The quality of the kindness shown is usually that reserved for close friends and family members.  An act of hesed presupposes the existence of a relationship between the parties involved, but where no formal relationship has previously been recognized, the person exercising hesed has chosen to treat the recipient as if such a relationship did exist.   Hesed is central to God's character.  It is closely tied to His covenant with His chosen people; in fact, the covenant may be thought of as the relationship from which hesed flows.  God's hesed however, is not bound by the covenant itself, and though men may prove unfaithful to this relationship, God's hesed is everlasting.

John Calvin's commentary on these verses:
"Because there is no hope apart from God's mercy, the cause, steadfast love, comes before the effect, salvation - and this, according to His promise.  In verse 42, he declares he has the best defense against his enemies' slanders in that his trust is in the Word of God alone.  God never disappoints those whose confidence is in His Word".

Everlasting, steadfast, unfailing love - mercy - that's what our children need in their lives.  That's we as parents and grandparents need in our lives as well.  Pray today that your children/grandchildren will have it, will find it and will abide in it.

Blessings,