Skip to main content

Precious Love

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O Lord.

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge
in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:5-7

God continues to show me just how incredible His love really is.

Consider this with me:
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:6-8

God’s steadfast love was displayed in Jesus Christ for all of creation to see and experience. It is a love that was offered freely to sinful, hateful people. It is a love that saves us through unimaginable grace (Ephesians 2:8, 9). It is a love that never changes or falters because God Himself is called the Father of lights in whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17). It is perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18). It is a love that allows us to love (1 John 4:19). It is a love that spared no expense (John 3:16). It is unmerited. It is without clause. It is final. It is God.

Notice how David doesn’t stop at talking about God’s love. He goes on to describe God’s faithfulness, righteousness, justice, and saving power. These attributes are not able to be separated or ignored. We cannot accept a few of them and discard the ones that we don’t like. We can’t assume that we know what the character of God entails and what it does not. We must trust His Word that He is good, just, and righteous. All of these attributes fall underneath love’s umbrella. However, without justice, grace loses its character. Without punishment for evil, what good is righteousness?

What is God’s love? Putting every living thing in subjection under Jesus Christ because He is the authority on life. He is the perfect One. He knows what is best for us far more than we do. He extends His arms to us like the father of the prodigal son just waiting for us to come home. He gave His very life and took my sins to the Cross. He made me a new creation. He will come again and call me home.

How precious is God’s steadfast love? I’ve only scratched the surface. I can’t wait to dig deeper!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Suffering Without Joy is Dead

This essay is dedicated to Adam who always asks challenging questions and makes me search Scripture to find the answers. I was asked a question Friday night about suffering that made me stop and rethink a lot of what I had come to understanding about the necessary, yet unpleasant, aspect of the Christian life. How are we really suffering if we are rejoicing? Doesn’t joy overcome suffering and replace it? Fortunately for Adam, he asked a guy who has been pouring over Philippians for the better part of three months and has been thinking a lot about what it looks like to suffer for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Fortunately for me, Adam’s question brought me to a deeper understanding of what suffering should look like in the Christian life and what it shouldn’t look like as well. I’d like to consider the suffering of Christ, our call to suffer, and our attitude in suffering. For it was fitting that He [God the Father] , for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glor...

Underway

I am headed out with the U.S.S. Blueridge tomorrow for some sea time. I am not sure if I will have access to blogspot or not while I'm underway. I just didn't want anyone to think that I dropped off the face of the earth! Please pray that my time underway is fruitful. Pray that I have meaningful conversations with the other sailors onboard and that I represent Christ well amidst the business. Also, please pray that I find time to spend in the Word daily regardless of how I have to make it happen. God bless you! Matt

The Life-giving Spirit

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe" (for Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." John 6:63-69 The Spirit gives life. The flesh is of no help at all. Notice what happened when Jesus said this. Many of His disciples left and followed Him no more. Why is that? Perhaps they were trying to ear...