The Best Greeting of All!

I think many of us would agree that one of the best parts of the day is coming home and being greeted by a husband or wife, kids, or even our cat or dog.  I remember the days when my children would come running to the door and welcome me home with a bit of excitement (at least when they were young!). Although Kim and I have been married 34 years, we still give each other a light hug and kiss before we part in the morning and when we see each other at the end of the day.  Now, when I get home, although no one else might be in the house, I’ve got Sadie, our dog, to welcome me home with her tail wagging and even a little bit of a bounce; she really does give me quite a greeting! Some of us might come home to an empty house, and I know that can be hard, for we all love a good hearty greeting. 

Every culture has its means of meeting and greeting.  In some cultures, a light kiss on the cheek (or both cheeks) is an appropriate way of greeting another person.  Some cultures tend more towards a handshake, others towards a hug, and some towards a bow.  Today we even have the high five and the fist bump! Whatever the cultural means may be, we all have our ways of showing our delight of meeting and greeting each other.  The kiss, the handshake, the hug, or the bow all represent a coming together of two people who are in some way allowing their lives to intersect, even if it is just for a moment.

How do you greet your friends and family? 

In Psalm 85, the psalmist wrote of a different kind of meet and greet when he wrote, “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” (Psalm 85:10 – NIV) Every time I read those words I am puzzled by the picture that they bring to mind. After all, love and faithfulness, righteousness and peace are not people but qualities and characteristics, especially of God.  But when we keep reading through the psalm, we find it’s a poetic way of describing God’s promise to his people that “The Lord will indeed give what is good….” (vs. 12)

Let me help you picture it in your mind’s eye: The love of God and faithfulness of God come together and join hands, as do the righteousness and peace of God (after having greeted each other with a kiss). Then together, the love and faithfulness of God, the righteousness and peace of God step into your life and mine!  God meets and greets his people with that which is good, for what is better than love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace? What could be better than those four characteristics of God coming into our lives at the same time? It’s the best greeting of all!

I want to encourage you today to know that, God wants to greet you today and pour out into your life his love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace. He really does want to intersect his life with yours, if you will allow him to step in.  So, trust him today and you will experience the best greeting of all!

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris