Even if we have made mistakes in the past which offended God, we can trust that if we sincerely repent, God will not remain angry at us forever. (Ps. 86:5)
Jehovah disciplined his people in ancient times to the point that it was fair and just, and he will do the same to us today if we fall into sinful practices. (2 Tim. 3:16)
So we should never fear that we are inevitably separated from God.
If he has forgiven us, we in turn have to forgive ourselves.
“But you, Jehovah the Sovereign Lord, Act in my behalf for the sake of your name. […]”
~Ps. 109:21
When we use God’s name, Jehovah, others come to identify Him as our God.
It is both a privilege and great responsibility.
But when others mistreat us, we can count on Jehovah acting in our behalf.
He does not tolerate anyone bringing such disgrace onto Himself, and what that means for us is that He is a God of action.
While Jehovah may allow an oppressive situation to continue for a bit of time, he will never allow his servants to be left hopeless or helpless.
He loyally extends kindness toward them in the form of deliverance or endurance (1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Cor. 4:7-9).
He may even save us in the form of giving us wisdom to know what our next step should be (Ps. 31:3; Ps. 119:98,99).
And yet another way he acts on our behalf is by forgiving our sins when we have truly repented (Ps. 25:11).
How wonderful it is to serve such a loyal God!
“May you hear the sighing of the prisoner. Use your great power to preserve those sentenced to death,”
~Psalm 79:11
In a sense, we are all sentenced to death, due to the consequences of sin (Rom. 5:12).
And while there are people literally imprisoned because of their faith, we may feel trapped in our own life because of burdensome problems.
How wonderful it is to know that our loving Father hears our sighing and is ready to grant us the necessary strength to endure our trials (2 Cor. 4:7).
If we resolve to walk in integrity, come what may, we will be protected behind Jehovah’s spiritual shield.
That will in turn strengthen our confidence, which will allow us to experience the happiness belonging to those who patiently wait on Jehovah (Ps. 84:11,12).
“Will Jehovah cast us off forever? […]
Or has his anger caused his mercy to cease?”
These questions are meant to be rhetorical but God’s word clearly gives us the answer:
No.
Jehovah God is not cold-hearted and wrathful to the point of being unforgiving.
It is normal to be haunted by a guilty conscience and wonder if God will forgive us when we have failed Him.
But He has provided the means to forgiveness through the sacrifice of His son (1 Thess. 1:10).
God promises to not stay resentful toward sinners who return to Him (Jer. 3:12).
He even goes beyond that and offers to comfort us (Is. 12:1).
So if our faith begins to falter because we fear Jehovah has cast us aside, let us remember all that He has done for us in the past and patiently treasure it as evidence of His unrelenting love (Ps. 77:11).
“Because your loyal love is better than life,
My own lips will glorify you.”
~Psalm 63:3
What is “loyal love”?
The glossary in the New World 2013 translation defines it as:
“[…] Rendered from the Hebrew word cheʹsedh, referring to love motivated by commitment, integrity, loyalty, and deep attachment. It is often used in connection with God’s love for humans […].”
How is Loyal Love different from God’s love toward humankind as a whole?
It is “kindness that lovingly attaches itself to an object until its purpose in connection with that object is realized. […] It is an act that preserves or promotes life. It is intervention on behalf of someone suffering misfortune or distress. It is demonstration of friendship or piety.”
The marginal reference in Psalm 63:3 takes us to Psalm 30:5:
Jehovah God is a compassionate Father who knows we are prone to sin and error.
He actively seeks out His servant who has derailed from a course of righteousness, proving his loyalty and kindness toward him.
God understands we are imperfect but He also knows we can change for the better.
So He does not give up hope in His servants and He does not abandon them.
If one feels he has failed God and returns to Him, he can continue to glorify God on account of His loyal love.
“This is why every loyal one will pray to you
While you may yet be found.”
~Psalm 32:6
Who does God consider to be a “loyal one”?
The previous verse is referring to someone who confesses their sins to God and whom God pardons (Psalm 32:5).
Since we are all imperfect sinners, to remain close to Him I must first recognize and value the extent of His mercy and kindness toward me.
If I trust in Jehovah, He will ‘surround me with His loyal love’ and, despite my errors, I will be able to rejoice joyfully among the righteous (Psalm 32:10,11).
In effect, it is possible for God to consider us, mere sinners, as being “upright in heart,” so long as we do not try to deceive Him.
And when we recognize the immense value of this, we may even find happiness (Psalm 32:1,2).
“You wrongdoers try to frustrate the plans of the lowly one,
But Jehovah is his refuge.”
~Psalm 14:6
Should we find that we will not be able to reach the goals we have set for ourselves in God’s service, we should not become discouraged.
Circumstances change and no one has full control over their own situation.
Not only are we susceptible to our own sinful inclinations, but we may find ourselves to be victims of the wrongdoings of others (Rom. 3:23).
While these factors may have a negative impact in our service to God, they do not impede our being loyal to Him.
Therefore we should continue serving God zealously alongside His congregation to our fullest capacity, because He will continue being our Protector, giving us all we need to be happy (Ps. 37:28; Ps. 145:16; Heb. 6:10-12).
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