A Conditional Promise

Sometimes in God's word we find what we call a conditional promise, if you do this, God will do this. As I was reading Psalm 103 I came across what looks to me like a conditional promise. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. Psalm 103:17-18.  This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts. Psalm 119:56. The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes! Psalm 119:64. In my readings of late, I have been in Psalms 119. This Psalm seems to be about keeping his word, which appears about 30 times in this Psalm. Keeping his laws 25 times, keeping his testimonies, 23 times; his precepts 21 times, his statutes 22 times. Commandments, rules, promises, and ways are also used many times. When I read Psalm 103:17-18, it stood out to me. Here is a conditional promise, to those who keep his covenant and do his commandments. God promises his righteousness to children's children. I found comfort in that. I think it was yesterday I spoke of a couple of prayers that God answered instantly, but their are other prayers I have prayed for many many years. I have prayed for my children and grandchildren for many years. I remember someone telling a story about a woman's mother coming to know Christ after the daughter had almost given up after praying for 20 years. The daughter felt her prayers had fallen on deaf ears and she had thought about quitting and then it happened. She wept as she realized how close she had come to giving up. I have prayed for many years, my oldest grandchild is now 15. I have prayed for him since he was born. I have prayed for his mother longer than that. I have prayed for my son for many many years. This promise, although conditional encouraged me. Psalm 119 is a 176 verses long and is over a over again about keeping God's word, his statues, his precepts, etc. It bounced off the page as I read Psalm 103, here is a good reason to continue to pray for my children's children. Life is good under God's hand, under his direction. His steadfast love is from everlasting to everlasting. Another promise in Psalm 103:10-13: He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;  as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.  Here again is a promise, he removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. You travel east on a line due east, you never come to the end of that line. You could never find your sins again. God does not hold us accountable for our sins after we make him Lord and Savior. You  may remember what you did, but they are so far removed you will never find them. God bless, LVZ.