THE DEPTH OF HIS LOVE
O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever (Psalm 136:1 AMPC).
Our heavenly Father is so gracious and kind. The depth of His love is infinite, absolutely unsearchable. The Bible says while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). His love is for everybody, including the worst criminals; no one is too evil or wicked for Him to love.
No wonder the Apostle Paul, by the Spirit, had to pray for the Church to be able to grasp—empowered to discover—the great magnitude of the boundless and amazing love of the Father. How deeply intimate, far-reaching, enduring and inclusive His love is; endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding (Ephesians 3:18).
Think about a man like King Nebuchadnezzar, for example; many only remember him as a devilish figure or an evil ruler because of what we read of him in 2 Kings 24:11-16. But not many observe God’s enduring love and mercy for him after he repented, and the incredible authority God granted him over the nations as revealed in Daniel chapter 4.
After he had lived like a beast of the field for seven years, God, in His love and mercy, returned Him to the palace, and everyone received him. God preserved the throne for him. Read of his beautiful testimony in Daniel 4:34-36.
Another astonishing example is that of Manasseh. Manasseh’s reign was marked by wickedness and rebellion against God. But when he repented of his sins, God showed him mercy. Then we come to King Ahab; the Bible says he did evil in the sight of God above all the other kings before him.
Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him (1 Kings 16:30-33). But as soon as Ahab repented, God spoke to Elijah, saying, “Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days…” (1 Kings 21:29).
Sometimes, when we think about people who have committed grave wrongs, we wonder why God tolerated them. It’s the depth of His love. He’s full of compassion. If God would show such grace to Nebuchadnezzar, Ahab, and Manasseh, I don’t see anyone in this world whom He wouldn’t love. God didn’t send Jesus to die for us because we were living right; He did it while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8-9).
PRAYER
Holy, righteous Father, thank you for your immense love for humanity and the provision of salvation through Jesus Christ; this love compels me to preach the Gospel to the lost, and turn them from sin unto righteousness, and from the power of Satan unto God, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
John 3:16, Ephesians 2:4-5
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Corinthians 6:3-18 2 Corinthians 7:1 Proverbs 20-21
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 21:20-28 & 1 Samuel 26
