Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. (Psalms 63:3, 4 KJV)
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19 KJV)
And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found. (Luke 15:11-32 KJV)
Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. (1 John 4:13 KJV)
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)
Psalm 63:3-4
David understood God's love. The word for lovingkindness in the Old Testament is the word "hesed," which is often used to describe God's loyal, steadfast, covenant love, a love that surpasses knowledge. Read Ephesians 3:17-19 and listen very carefully and prayerfully to Paul's prayer for the church.
Comprehending and believing God's love is essential to being able to walk in His transcending, transforming love. We don't really believe something until we really receive it, take it in, and walk in it.
This means that when we get up from spending time with God in His Word and enter into the day-and all that comes with it-we trust and believe that God loves us. Likewise, when we fall completely short of the mark, knowing that we continually do, we choose to trust in His forgiving lovingkindness. This is the Gospel!
The parable of the prodigal son is a powerful picture of God's hesed-His lovingkindness, His covenant love. Read Luke 15:11-32. When the son returned to his father, he hoped that his father would at least take him back as a servant. But his father received and accepted him as a son! The father poured out his love upon the son, threw a party, and gave his son the finest robe and a gold ring. When that son received his father's love, he entered into a full relationship with his father.
If we have trusted in Jesus, then we have that same loving acceptance from our heavenly Father. But how often do we forget this? It's important that we believe in God's acceptance of us in Christ and in His lovingkindness toward us. When we believe in His love and acceptance of us and receive it, we will be able to live in that love and give it.
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