Gospel Reflections #1157: The Joy and Fellowship with God

Psalm 36:5–6 ‘O Lord, your steadfast love reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God, and your judgements like the great deep. O Lord, you save both man and beast.’

This passage praises ‘God’s infinite and overwhelming character’—which stands in stark contrast to human sinfulness and the absurdity of the world—using magnificent metaphors drawn from nature.

Verses 1–4 of this psalm first depict the hopeless reality (darkness) of human beings who, without fear of God, plot evil deeds.

However, from verse 5 onwards, there is a sudden shift, and the focus turns to ‘God’s light and grace’, which far surpasses that human darkness.

The term ‘mercy (grace)’ is rendered in the original Hebrew as ‘hesed’ (unwavering love based on covenant).

God’s love is as high as the ‘heavens’—beyond human comprehension—and knows no bounds.

This demonstrates that, no matter how deep human sin may be, God’s love is infinite enough to completely envelop it.

‘Truth’ is the Hebrew word ‘emet’ (reliability, sincerity).

God’s truth and promises are as reliable as the ‘clouds and the sky’, which are visible from anywhere in the world; they remain unchanged at all times and in all circumstances.

God’s ‘righteousness’ is likened to ‘mighty mountains’ standing firm and towering.

Whilst human standards and social justice fluctuate with the times, this signifies that God’s righteous standards never waver and continue to exist as an unchanging foundation.

God’s plans, wisdom and impartial ‘judgement’ are like the unfathomable ‘deep sea (abyss)’.

Though so profound as to be utterly beyond the grasp of human wisdom, this demonstrates that there is a sure and steadfast governance at work.

The concluding words of verse 6 convey that God’s care extends not only to humankind but to all of God’s creation (nature and animals).

God is not merely a being who judges humankind; He is the ‘Guardian of Life’ who sustains the entire world and nourishes it with compassion.

These two verses offer us powerful encouragement when we are tempted to despair as we look down upon the evil in the world or our own weaknesses: ‘Lift up your eyes and gaze upon God’s love and faithfulness, which are higher than the heavens and deeper than the sea.’

God continues to speak to us even now, and will continue to do so in the future, so that we may dwell and live with Him.

Let us remain vigilant so that we do not fail to receive God’s mercy, encouragement, insights and counsel.

The joy of fellowship with God is the relationship He seeks with us as human beings.

It is for this reason that God speaks to us even today.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.