WONDERS OF GOD’S LOVE

“Show me the WONDERS of YOUR GREAT LOVE, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes” – Psalm 17:7

Mercy and Grace are products of the WONDERS of GOD’S LOVE: “Show me the WONDERS of YOUR GREAT LOVE, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes” (Psa.17:7, NIV). This theme brings to mind the popular song – Joy to the World. The fourth verse reads: “He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love, and wonders of His love, and wonders, wonders, of His love.” The word “Wonder” means: A feeling of amazement and admiration, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar. Do we feel a sense of amazement and admiration when we think of God’s Love toward us? 1 John 3:1 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

The NKJV of Psalm 17:7a reads: “Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand.” To know the Wonders of God’s Love is to understand His Lovingkindness. Though we can’t fully fathom His Love for us, we can learn many things about this unfailing Love in His Word – His very wide and deep Love. According to Strong’s commentary, God’s lovingkindness incorporates three principles: strength, steadfastness and love. God’s Love is divinely strong, steadfast and unfailing, and has the ability to cast out fear: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 Jh.4:18). His love is strong for even when we are faithless and undeserving God remains faithful and steadfast. When our hearts really understand this, we are left with amazement and wonder!

We’re in the season when we should give special consideration to Agape Love – the time when Love was born. The Wonder of God’s Love is aptly captured in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jh.3:16). This agape love reaches out to meet the needs of others. It is so utterly self-sacrificing that it did not hesitate to pay the biggest price to save a lost world. This love is so mighty and magnificent that we cannot fathom its height, breadth or depth: “that you, being rooted and grounded in LOVE, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the LOVE of CHRIST which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph.3:17b-19).

David wrote Psalm 17 during a time he was crying out to God for relief “from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me” (v.9). We all sometimes feel this way! What with the horrors of persecution and terrorism against Christians in diverse places? However, the very heart of David’s prayer request was: “Show the wonder of your great love.” David already knew of God’s great love when he wrote this, yet he longed for a greater revelation or perhaps he was really asking God to bring back the fresh “awe” and “wonder” that comes when His great love is first revealed to us. For example, the Lord cautioned the church of Ephesus: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev.2:4).

God’s Love has a sublime nature, in contrast to the covetous love of fallen humanity that’s aimed at exalting self, promoting self-interests and dominating others. In saving our souls, the Lord poured out His agape love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5b). For God, unconditional love is effortless, because He is Love personified (1Jh. 4:7-8). Following God’s Model, we can love as He loves (1Jh.4:9-12). We should make this requests as well: “Show me the Wonder of Your Great Love! Help me also to show the Wonder of Your Great Love to others as You reveal Yourself to me”!