“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there (in unity) the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.” Psalm 133
It is abundantly clear that the swell of divisiveness, resentment, and protest in our country is very troubling. It should move us to bring our relationships before the throne of God every day—praying for the refreshing “good and pleasant” harmony that God commends in this passage of Scripture.
However, we are not naïve; we realize that until Jesus returns Satan will continue his assault on our friendships, our marriages, our churches and our families, communities and countries. He will do anything and everything he can to sabotage unity and sow dissension, raise suspicions and erode trust, create disconnect and fertilize bitter roots. It is after all his full time job and he is very good at it when we as people let him.
By the power of God’s Word and Spirit we seek to resist the devil, like we would resist an intruder trying to break into our homes….because that is precisely who he is—the thief who comes to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10). Because of his onslaught of attacks on our relationships we ought to endeavor to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). And the best way we can do that is by constantly preaching the gospel to our hearts—exposing our hearts to the riches of God’s grace and working diligently to keep our hearts (Prov. 4:23) in that grace…otherwise we end up listening to him tell us lies about one another.
For the more we are alive to God’s love for us in Jesus, the less we will tolerate our pettiness and indulge our self-righteousness; the less we will pick fights or avoid conflicts; the more we will seek to make peace and live at peace with one another. For it is in this unity spoken of in our Psalm that we have blessing. “For there (in unity) the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”
So, today, this morning, let us pray that God would grant us grace and wisdom for our messiest of relationships, but also for the healthiest ones; for no relationship is beyond the reach or need of His grace. Ask Him to help us to be the chief “repenter” in all of our relationships—the person most desirous of reconnecting and the quickest to humble ourselves. “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” (I Peter 3:8) For this type of unity is something to “Behold” especially in this day and age. And what a witness it can be to the watching world around us.
God bless y’all!
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
