Mighty Yet Tenderfeatured

I have a hard time getting my brain around our God’s “Almightiness” and His deep and intimate love for me as an individual.  My rational self just has trouble with this juxtaposition.  How in the world can the all-powerful God that created and ordered all of creation have the time to be interested in me?  How can He have that same interest and love for billions of us while still sustaining everything we can see as well as the things that we can’t see?  My brain is way too limited to grasp this reality.

Biblical references to God’s might are numerous in the Bible.  Here is a sampling:

Psalm 50:1 – “The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets.”

Psalm 89:8 – “Who is like you, Lord God Almighty? You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.” 

Jeremiah 20:11 – “But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior…”

In Isaiah 9: 6 the prophet Isaiah promises us that God’s might and power will be embodied in the Messiah, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The Bible is equally generous in references to God’s tender side, His intimate love and care for each of us.  The Old Testament is full of references to His unfailing and enduring love.  In Psalm 139, David acknowledges God’s intimate knowledge of him and His constant presence with him.  In verse 6 David says, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”  I can relate to David!

In both the Old and New Testament, God’s tender care is described as shelter under His wing. Psalm 63: 7-8 says “Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.  Jesus speaks of His desire to show His tender love for us in Matthew 23: 37, “…how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…”.  I love this picture of His love for us!

God’s greatest demonstration of His tenderness and love is, of course, the provision of His Son, our Savior.

I will never be able to fully comprehend how and why the all-powerful and mighty Creator wants to know me and love me in the most intimate and complete way possible.  Despite that, I know that God wants me to enjoy this wonderful gift in faith.  He also desires for me to mirror these characteristics to others. 

He wants us to be mighty: mighty in our faith and mighty in our devotion to Him.  Our own might is pretty wimpy.  At least mine is!   Only He, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can provide me the might that He calls me to exhibit. Ephesians 6:10 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

He also wants us to mimic His tenderness in our dealings with others.  The Apostle Paul gives us a picture in Philippians 2: 1-3, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” 

So that’s our calling – to be mighty and tender just as He is mighty and tender. Right now I’m not sure anyone would use those adjectives to describe me.  It is not an easy task for me or any of us!  But it is possible through His mighty power in us.  Thanks be to God! [jetpack_subscription_form]