The Vastness of God’s Love

“Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds” Psalm 36:5

Psalm 36 begins in a dark place. David describes the heart of the wicked—those who “do not fear God” (Ps. 36:1). Their eyes are closed to God, their words bent toward deceit, and their hearts unmoved by truth.

But then—almost abruptly—the psalm turns.

David lifts his gaze away from the ugliness of human rebellion to the beauty of God’s character. And what he sees is not a God diminished by human sin, but a God whose love is so vast that ordinary words fail. So, David stretches our imagination by using the largest things he can name.

God’s steadfast love reaches as high as the heavens.
His faithfulness rises to the clouds.
His righteousness stands firm like mighty mountains.
His judgments are as deep and unfathomable as the sea (Ps. 36:5–6).

Then David shows us that His vast love is also tender.

God invites His people to take refuge under the shadow of His wings. He welcomes them into His house. He feeds them from His abundance and gives them drink from the river of His delights (Ps. 36:7–8).

God’s love is not only something to behold—it is something He invites us to enter and take shelter in.

Then comes the verse that sits at the heart of the psalm:

“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light” (Ps. 36:9).

Life does not originate in us.
Clarity does not come from within.

God Himself is the source of life, and only in His light do we see reality clearly. Apart from Him, hearts grow dark. With Him, everything comes into focus.

David ends with a plea—not for something new, but for something ongoing:

“Oh, continue your steadfast love…”

The one who knows God knows where life comes from. She returns again and again to the fountain. She lives in the light God gives. And she prays—not because God is reluctant to love—but because she never wants to step outside the shelter of that love.

Reflection 

Where are you tempted to look for life, clarity, or security apart from God as the fountain of life and light?

What would it look like for you today to more intentionally take refuge under the shelter of God’s steadfast love?