 Growing up, I had always been intimidated by the whole ‘God thing’: an all-powerful being that created everything, that created me. If He wanted, He could strike me dead at any moment. What if I made Him mad? What if I did something He didn’t like? He could remove me from the earth in a heartbeat. At times He sure showed His power and His anger in the Bible. He is the Creator, the Disciplinarian, the Master. He must be this immense being who could squash me like an ant. Watch what you say, watch what you do, or He’ll get you… Sound pretty silly? Not really, a lot of people in the world really envision God in this way. But nothing could be further from the truth. If you have children, do you love them? How much do you love them? Imagine that love times 6.3 billion. Our God is a god of love. He created us out of love. He continued to love us even though we turned from Him, broke his laws and ignored Him. He continued to pursue us, as you would pursue your child who ran away from home, even if your child told you he hated you. And He continues to pursue us today.
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.
Deuteronomy 7:9
God cannot stand to look upon our sinful nature. But He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to be nailed to a tree and die for us. Jesus’ blood covers those in the human race who believe in Him and confess Him as Lord. God then does not see our sinful nature anymore because we have been cleansed. As hard as this has always been for me to understand, it makes perfect sense if you think of it in terms of love: The ultimate Love--the love of the Father for his children.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 118:29  © Steven Walls - Forever Glory
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