LOVE BOW

“Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.” Psalm 85:11 (NIV)

As I read this verse just a few moments ago, I was deeply touched by its meaning and the promises locked within it. Immediately, I saw fountains and streams of faithfulness bubbling up from the earth and the face of Christ pouring His righteousness down upon us from the heavens. What a sight...what treasures.

It seems everywhere I look, I find the faithfulness of God. His love is audible in the echoes of children's laughter, it glides through the leaves riding summer breezes, and sparkles along the white-capped waves. The Almighty’s goodness is so evident in the ways only He can move, and in how He proves Himself strong on our behalf over and over again. His unfailing attentiveness and blessings truly spring from the earth like a fountain.

Oh, and righteousness - what a beautiful gift. Our righteousness (right standing with God) has been showered down upon us through the precious sacrifice of Jesus, our beautiful Savior. It is because of His love and redeeming blood, alone, that we have been given the right to be known as sons and daughters of the Most High God. We have been named His Beloved!

So here we are, imagining faithfulness popping up all over the world and righteousness coming down from heaven. Now envision with me these streams of faithfulness forming into a single ribbon upon Earth and righteousness doing the same, coming down from above.

Over two thousand years ago, God reached down to our world with His creative hands and gave us His Son. He then gently tied His faithfulness and Christ’s righteousness together into a beautiful Love Bow that wraps our world to this day. We are His gift, created for His delight and enjoyment...tied in perfect love. We are surrounded by God’s beauty in Creation and are constantly justified as worthy through Jesus.

Perhaps imagining this bow could help us further understand Psalm 85:10 (NIV) where it says, “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” After all, true and lasting love can only be proved through constant faithfulness. And wherever righteousness is found, there, peace will be also. Jesus personified love as He hung upon the cross and the Lord continues to love us, day in and out, in spite of our faults. It is only because He looks down through Jesus’ blood and sees us, His Creation, as spotless and righteous.

If each of us would grasp this concept of being wrapped in a Love Bow, tied together by God’s faithfulness and our righteousness through Christ, we would walk more consistently in lasting freedom and peace. We’d hold our heads high, confident in whom we are and whose we are. So let’s get to it!

Sure, we are not perfect, but we are perfectly loved. True, we do not do everything right, but we are seen as righteous by the very eyes of our Heavenly Father. And nothing could be more important than that.

Open your eyes today to the fountains of God’s faithfulness springing up all around you, and look up to meet the eyes of righteousness gazing down upon you. Thank our incredible God for His unending goodness and the priceless Love Bow securely holding you right where you stand today...

“Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.” Psalm 85:11 (NIV)

Tied in Love,
Katie Marie