“The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy…He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” ~PSALM 103:8, 10-12

Before Christ had come and manifested His presence among us in the form of man, He was already gracious and good to us. The psalms express this truth in how they declare that, before the Lamb of God had been slain, He was slow to anger, abounding in mercy, not dealing with us in accordance with what our sins deserved, nor punishing us for our iniquities.

But even then, with just the blood of animals, He had set His mercy for us as high as the heavens are from the earth and removed our sins as far as the east is from the west.

When Christ declared ‘it is finished’ that blessed day on Calvaries cross, He sealed these truths for all eternity. He signed His own word with His very own blood.

This is the God you serve.

You are ever-loved, delighted in, rejoiced over, sung over. Our Heavenly Father finds joy in you, His beloved Bride, and Righteousness.

No matter what you’ve done in the past, present, no matter the stumbling and failures that will meet you in the future, you are always loved and welcomed and because of His precious blood, He remembers your sins no more (HEBREWS 8:12).

Remember the story of the Prodigal Son and His Father (LUKE 15:11-32). This is a story that reflects the Heart of the God you serve. Yes, the Father was well aware of the failures of his son but every day he watched the horizon for his return and when he saw him, he ran, embraced him, kissed him.

The Father showered him with so much love and joy that the son didn’t even have a chance to speak of being demoted in his father’s house. Instead, the father placed a ring on his finger and gave him the best robe and shoes and through him a party!

This, again, is the picture of our Heavenly Father and how He sees, delights in, and loves us.

My prayer for you is that from this moment forward you will walk in this love every moment. When you fail or fall, remember your Father loves you and calls you His own. When you miss the mark, remember He still celebrates you. When you stray, trust, and know that you are always welcome in His love and grace.

Nothing you or I can ever do will ever change this. His banner over us is love (SONG OF SOLOMON 2:4) and He rejoices over us with singing like the proud Father He is.

“The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” ~ZEPHANIAH 3:17

You are loved for always and evermore!

~Poiema, Poetry in Motion

–Candice Coates is an author, blogger, and contributor to Ambo TV. To read more from her, follow her blog at www.icameforthesoup.com