God's Love

“With unfailing love you lead this people whom you have ransomed.”
Exodus 15:13


Steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
Psalm 32:8–10


The Lord delights to give us small nuggets of truth when we seek Him through Scripture. And these were two nuggets He gave me this morning. More and more I’m seeing how much He loves us—not only in general but also individually.

In the past I’ve often struggled with the concept that He loves me in spite of my many, many failings. After a particularly rough time last summer, He set out to confirm His awesome love through many circumstances and people He has brought my way.

Before Christmas I once again was overwhelmed when I thought of the love had for His creation when He sent His only Son, Jesus, as a baby to pay the ransom for the sin of mankind—past, present, future, i.e. for my sin. The songs we sang in our church’s Christmas concert were so amazing, the words burned themselves into my soul.

And now He’s doing it again through the music we are preparing for Easter. One of the songs He’s using to prepare me for the Easter music is “How Can It Be?” to which John W. Peterson wrote the music in 1961. Avis B. Christiansen wrote the words.

O Savior, as my eyes behold
The wonders of They might untold,
The heav’ns in glorious light arrayed,
The vast creation Thou hast made—
And yet to think Thou lovest me—
My heart cries out,
“How can it be?”

[CHORUS]
How can it be?
How can it be?
That God should love a soul like me,
O how can it be?

As at the cross I humbly bow
And gaze upon Thy thorn-crowned brow;
And view the precious bleeding form
By cruel nails so bruised and torn,
To know Thy suff’ring was for me,
In grief I cry,
“How can it be?”

(chorus)

How can it be? How can it be?
Was ever grace so full and free!
From heights of bliss to depths of woe
In loving kindness Thou didst go,
From sin and shame to rescue me—
O Love Divine,
How can it be?

(chorus)


For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NASB, emphasis mine)


Have a blessed weekend!

Daily Bible reading: Saturday—Exodus 16–18; 1 Thessalonians 4
Sunday—Exodus 19–20; 1 Thessalonians 5
Monday—Exodus 21–22; 2 Thessalonians 1