Read the Psalm

This stunning psalm places the invitation to hope and patiently wait under the umbrella of grace. In verse 7, our hope (a settled, confident stance of waiting on God) is rooted in the love and redemptive nature of God.

Hope is a settled sense of knowing. We see this in Hebrews: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (11:1–3) And so, what is it that we are trusting? What specifically is the object of our faith? Our trust, hope is in God, and specifically: “with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.”

We can wait. We can settle in with hope because of God’s commitment to us. The words steadfast love is the Hebrew word chesed. It speaks of a pursuing, committed, loyal love. In the Hebrew, this word for love (steadfast love) has the article “the” which often does not get translated. The effect is that this prayer is saying: “with the Lord is this steadfast love.” What love? The one right here, right now … active in our lives. The emphasis is that the Lord has a specific, dynamic love for each of us, not just a generic love for all people. It is “this” love which is present and active that is the focus of hope.

The phrase “plentiful redemption” is the second part of hope’s foundation. The order of the words in Hebrew is this: “plentiful with Him is redemption.” The emphasis here is on God as plentiful or abundant in how He redeems. To redeem is set free. The cultural and historical background would have been the redemption of the people from their slavery in Egypt which led to the exodus. As we encounter various trials and sufferings, He is abundant (extravagant) in the way He leads us into new life.

As we consider both His love and redemption, we are drawn to consider that His love is present and redemption is abundant. Often, we may consider God’s love to be distant and sparse. We may ask the questions: is His love enough? Will His love sustain me, guide me, protect me? The invitation here is to trust that His love and presence is more than enough. The focus on the dynamic, specific nature of His love and the abundance of His love compels us into loving relationship. To receive this love and to love Him in return.

It is when love enters the equation that we know God as more than nice thoughts or wishful thinking. It is when love enters and captivates us that we begin to know God in the depths of who we are. Hope is born out of love and hope leads us to patient waiting. In the waiting, we deepen in our knowing of God as we walk (pilgrimage home) day by day. In this sense, everything on our journey begins and ends with love.

Author Belden Lane makes sense of this as he writes: “(When I know that) I’ve come home in a deeply visceral way. I’m reminded again that loving is the truest way of ‘knowing’ anything.” As we respond to this invitation to love and be loved, we know God. Often, knowing gets located in the mind, but love locates knowing in all of our being. This is why Jesus said the greatest command is to: “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) We are often tempted to compartmentalize the hard things in only our mind or perhaps we hold them in our body. We do this to maintain some kind of control of how we are experiencing the world. In our own strength and wisdom, it may feel like too much to hold the hard things – to wait patiently in hope. 

Love is what transports us home. Love transcends our attempts to control. Love disarms us and leads us to release our need to hold it together. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 describes this reality:

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

His love shapes us. It compels to look outside of ourselves … to Him. The love of God – His ever-present grace toward us and His abundant redemption – is enough. We’ve asked the question: how is God loving me? Now, the questions become: will I let God love me? Will I receive this love? Will I open my clenched fists? Will I open my mind and heart where I may have compartmentalized things?

And so, love (being loved and loving in return) involves all of who we are – not just a part. The ancient Persian poet Rumi expressed this beautifully: “An intellectual is all the time showing off. Lovers, dissolve and become bewildered. Intellectual try not to drown, while the whole purpose of love is drowning.” As we journey together on this pilgrimage with God, focus on bring a lover. Being a lover means that we immerse ourselves in Him and in so doing we progressively shed control and lose ourselves in God.

Are you ready to receive the love of God?

Reflection questions: will you let God love you? Are you ready to be loved? Don’t pass by these questions too quickly but sit with them. Let it be a conversation with God. Let it unfold.

Prayer: Lord, I confess that waiting has been so difficult at times. I trust that Your love is enough and can ground me. I open myself to Your love. Please keep calling me to You. I desire to come back over and over again. Amen.