Gracious & Abounding
Have you ever made a mistake so bad that you feel like there’s no way you can come back from it?
I’ve made my share of mistakes, and the aftermath is never pretty. Recently, I was able to see the love that God has for his children. God is a God who loves, and he loves unconditionally. There’s no catch. He loves us even when we don’t deserve it. He doesn’t change the way that he sees us. He’s always seen us as flawless and perfect in his eyes. Regardless of the many mistakes we’ve done, God at the end of the day, continues to welcome us with open arms.
I like to use the example of the prodigal son. After the son leaves and goes to spend all his inheritance and have fun, he comes back to his father, and the plot twist of the story was his father welcomes him with open arms. His father didn’t hold anything against him. He didn’t yell at him and tell him to leave. Instead his father embraced him with a love that only a father shares with his child. This act of love is the same act of love that God displays to his children. The gracious and abounding kind of love. The type of love that is unconditionally given.
There’s a song called “Pieces” by Steffany Gretzinger, and it describes the love God has for us. God isn’t a God that gives his heart in pieces. He isn’t a God that hides himself to tease us. He is a God that loves wholeheartedly, and it never gets swayed. He’s consistent and still gives us what he deems as his best for us. He goes out of his way to provide for us and cares deeply for us through our good and bad moments.
Psalm 103:8 says, "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." (NIV)
How profound is that! God doesn't become easily angered and is gracious towards us because he knows that in this life we are bound to make mistakes. His love for us is something that will NEVER change regardless of anything that we may do.