I like to begin my day by reading a psalm, typically one each day, which then leads to a time of praise and thanksgiving to God for who He is and what He has done for me.
Lately, though, I’ve been spending more than one day in any particular psalm. About 10 days ago I read Psalm 103. And I’m still reading it every day. It has so much to say about the greatness and goodness of God, I think I’m “stuck” in this psalm! I’ve had several “favorite” psalms over the years, and it looks like Psalm 103 has become my favorite . . . for now.
And you know, I can’t think of a better place to be stuck than in the wonder of God’s glory. Like many psalms, this is a psalm that calls us to worship God — to give Him praise for His many benefits and attributes.
Today I am meditating on verse 11: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him.”
Do you ever get tired of praising God for His love?
How great is God’s love for those who fear Him? It’s as great as the heavens are high. And how high are the heavens? Infinitely high.
David is doing his best to describe the infinitely great love of God for us. Of course, when he wrote this, no one had any idea how high the heavens are above the earth. They could only look up into the sky and be amazed at the beauty, majesty and grandeur of it all.
Today, however, we have invented devices that can measure mind-boggling distances in outer space. According to NASA, the universe is so big that if you were launched into the heavens at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), it would take you 225 trillion years to reach what is believed to be the edge of the universe (assuming there is such a place).
That is how high the heavens are above the earth. And that is how great God’s love for you is.
What intrigues me about Psalm 103:11 is the very first word, “for.” This links verse 11 to what comes immediately before it. When we go back a couple verses we read that God “will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities” (v. 9-10).
Because of a lifetime of sin, God has every reason to rightly accuse us of wrongdoing and to be angry with us. As David wrote elsewhere, “God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day” (Psalm 7:11).
If we got what we deserved from God for our rebellious ways, where would we all be?
Yes, you are correct. In hell.
But where are you right now? Take a look around.
No matter how good or bad you may view your current location or situation, I guarantee that you are much better off than if you were in hell. Amen?
David’s point is that God has not done to us what He could have done the first time we sinned. And thousands of sins later, we still have not received the just punishment for our transgressions, because “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (v. 8).
He does not treat us as our sins deserve.
He does not repay us according to our iniquities.
Why not?
“For” (or “because”) His love is so great, He provided a way for us to be acquitted of all our high crimes, misdemeanors and acts of treason. Instead of pouring out His wrath on us (which would have been fair), God the Father punished God the Son instead.
4 Surely he (Jesus) took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him (Jesus) punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:4-6
In Psalm 103:11, by the little word “for,” God’s love is amazingly and eternally linked to His cancellation of the death penalty hanging over our heads, all because of the death of Christ for guilty sinners like you and me.
When you think of God’s love, what comes to mind? Throughout Scripture, there is often a direct connection between the love of God and the death of Christ.
Consider these New Testament verses:
“God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
“The Son of God . . . loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
“Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:2).
“Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
“This is how we know what love is: Christ laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16)
“This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).
Ray Comfort summarizes this truth well: “The cross is the focal point of God’s love for the world” (The School of Biblical Evangelism).
And because God treats us this way, we have all the reason in this infinitely large universe to “Praise the Lord, O my soul. All my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2).
Would you join me today in thanking the Father for His love that sent the Son to the cross so that you and I could receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life instead of eternal condemnation, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What is your favorite Psalm? And why? I’d love to hear how God has used a particular psalm in your life, so please feel free to comment below.
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