Living in Love
In the first five verses of Psalm 103, we see the benefits of being God’s child – If we are in Christ, He:
forgives all our sin,
heals all our diseases,
redeems our lives from the pit,
crowns us with love and compassion, and
satisfies our desires with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
God’s grace enables me to soar like an eagle and not grow weary!
But even more than grace, God loves us! This isn’t some temporary passing emotion like “falling in love” but a love that is connected with forgiveness of sin. As sinners, we shouldn’t be able to come into God’s presence, and we certainly don’t deserve his love. We, like the people of God who came out of Egypt, will make our own gods if given the chance, just as they made a golden calf to worship when Moses was gone too long on the mountain meeting with the One True God, Yahweh. (Exodus 32, 33) But God forgave his people and showed Moses his glory, saying, “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6) This verse is repeated here in Psalm 103.
Yet God’s love is attached to forgiveness. God’s love for me is so great that He does not hold my sins against me and treat me as my sins deserve, but He has removed my transgressions as far as the east is from the west. Oh, see how Jesus has flung out his arms to the east and the west as He willingly laid down his life on the cross and took the penalty for our sin, giving us forgiveness in Him in his death! Forgiveness and love have come through sacrifice.
In fact, as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him! When I look out at the night sky and see how far away the stars and galaxies are, can I really imagine a love and forgiveness so great? We get a powerful illustration here of how God’s love and forgiveness are vast, unlimited, without boundaries and infinite!
God loves us! May we rejoice in Him and praise Him for his love and compassion!
My encouragement to you this week is to reflect on the sacrificial unlimited love of God in Christ. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)
