SYNOPSIS: The Bible tells us that we will never be declared righteous in God’s sight by our best efforts to be righteous. In fact, all of humanity is in the same boat: we all sin and fall way short of God’s standards for righteousness. Yet scripture also tells us that God proves his love for us in that while we were still in sin, God sent his son Jesus to die so that his death would pay the legal debit for our legal adjudication of innocence. In other words, God has stubbornly persisted in loving us. And what can diminish his love for us? Nothing—not even our best efforts to drive him away. No wonder the authors of these psalms would often exclaim after writing of God’s great love and enduring faithfulness, “Praise the Lord!” What else is there to say?
MOMENTS WITH GOD // Psalm 117:1-2
They say that dynamite comes in small packages, as does one of the most powerful truths in all of Scripture. Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible, with only two verses, but how profound they are. The entire message that God has graciously communicated to mankind through his Word be summed up right here:
God’s love toward us is great, and his faithfulness is unending.
Love and faithfulness—that is our God in a nutshell. He loves us unconditionally. We did nothing to deserve or earn his love. We can never earn his love through our best efforts to be righteous and to do righteous things. In fact, we have gone out of our way to repulse his love for us. Consider these declarations from scripture:
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. (Isaiah 4:6)
Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law, we become conscious of our sin. …[Saving] righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:22-23)
Yet Romans 5:8 adds, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In other words, even at our worst, God has stubbornly persisted in loving us. And what can diminish his love for us? Nothing—not even our best efforts to drive him away:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
Praise God. He is faithful morning after morning, with each new day, to extend mercy, cover us with grace, shower us with goodness, and embrace us with everlasting love. His love endures forever.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is God’s faithfulness.
No wonder the authors of these psalms would often exclaim after writing of God’s great love and enduring faithfulness, “Praise the Lord!” What else is there to say but …
Praise the Lord!
I would encourage you to listen to this song—How Deep the Father’s Love—then let it inspire you to lift up a prayer of gratitude to your loving, merciful, gracious Heavenly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2mn86HdQFY&feature=related
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