Psalm 63:3 | Steadfast • Lauren Ibach

“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” -Psalm 63:3 ESV

Steadfast: A word study

That word steadfast has been one of my favorite words lately. I’ve reflected on it so many times over the past year during my quiet time meditation. According to dictionary.com, steadfast means to be fixed or firm in a direction or purpose – unwavering. The the word for steadfast in the original Hebrew is chesed (pronounced kheh’-sed) and it refers to God’s devout loving-kindness, mercy, and faithfulness at the very core of His character and actions.

God is steadfast. Therefore, His love is steadfast – unwavering, faithful, and kind.

Meditate on God’s steadfast love

Pause for a moment. Can you think of a moment in your life where you experienced God’s loving-kindness and mercy? I can think of several off the top of my head, but ultimately, I think back to the Gospel.

The ultimate display of God’s steadfast love for humanity was the Father, sending His perfect Son to die on behalf of undeserving sinners and be raised from the dead to give new and eternal life to all who put their faith in Him alone. I think of the kindness displayed through the Holy Spirit who, by His grace, softens our hearts to the Gospel message so we are able to put our faith in Christ. Then, He goes even further in His loving-kindness by making our hearts His dwelling place, sealing us with the promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Understanding the Gospel

To fully understand the Gospel, we have to be willing to acknowledge the seriousness of our sin.

According to God’s perfect and complete written Word, the righteous and just punishment for sin is hell. Acknowledging this truth can make us very uncomfortable – so uncomfortable, we tend to skip this part when thinking of our own sin or in proclaiming the Gospel to others. But, taking this step is what leads to repentance. In fact, it is the crucial step we must take in order to fully appreciate the magnitude of this beautiful gift of salvation and new life in Christ. When we accept the reality of hell and agree with God that we are sinners in need of a Savior, we are able to understand the Gospel with the proper perspective. He didn’t have to make a way, yet He made a way. He didn’t do it because we deserved it, He did it because His steadfast love is at the very core of His character.

In Christ, we are given new life. All other roads lead to hell. His steadfast love is truly better than anything life apart from Him can offer. And wherever you are in our faith journey, whether you are a new Christian, or you have been following Him for decades, the good news of the Gospel will forever be at the center of our praise and worship.

We never outgrow the power of the Gospel.