“Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love for me.” (Psalm 66:16-20)
Those words that David penned have become increasingly meaningful to me. There is so much to say about that small portion of scripture. It summarizes some of David’s struggles and brings to light some of my own. All throughout the book of Psalms, with each psalm that David wrote, the pattern he describes in the above passage can be seen. David consistently cried out to God for help asking him for protection from his enemies, never forgetting to praise God for who he is in the process. David cried out to God and was open about the sins that he had committed against God and God alone, confessing his deep sorrow over what he had done. God heard David’s cries and rescued him not only from his enemies, but also from his sin, showing David just how unfailing his love for him really is. God’s love for David was not determined based on what he did or didn’t do. God heard the cries of one who was after his own heart and he answered them. The same is true for us. God’s love for you is not determined by what you do or don’t do. He simply loves you because he created you. He doesn’t withdraw his love from you. That is why his love is considered unfailing and unconditional. He hears you when you cry out to him. He knows what you are going through. He knows everything about you. David made mistakes in his life. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life; I have sinned, but God has never withdrawn his love from me. The same is true for you. The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of God’s standards (Romans 3:23), but God offers to each and every one of us the gifts of forgiveness, grace, mercy, love, and eternal life. “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:8-10) No matter where you have been or what you have done, he loves you. He is always waiting for you with open arms. “Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises. Our lives are in his hands and he keeps our feet from stumbling” (Psalm 66:8-9)
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