The Limitless Love of God
King David Describes God's Love in Ways We Can Never Imagine. Episode 15, Psalm 103:11. From the series "From Dust to Eternity"
The Vastness of The Universe
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103:11)
How can I, a finite and fragile human, begin to grasp the magnitude of God’s love? When I hear David’s words, I find myself wrestling with their enormity. What does it mean for love to stretch as high as the heavens, to span an expanse I cannot begin to measure? I can hardly comprehend the vastness of space, let alone the infinite love of the Creator who made it. A love that is directed toward me. And you.
We often assume that ancient writers had a very primitive knowledge of the cosmos, that it was a small, enclosed dome where the heavens were a ceiling above the earth. Some ancients did. But not all. Indeed, the bible doesn’t let us live with this imperialism long before we are humbled by what the ancients knew. They knew a lot.
Read these words of Job aloud and marvel at his insight stretching back to the dawn of recorded history. (Job is first written work of the Bible.)
“He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading His clouds over it. He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness.” (Job 26:7ff)
These words, written thousands of years ago, evoke a wonder that transcends their era. His words hint at an understanding of a universe that is vast and mysterious, a realm beyond human comprehension.
And David had the same understanding.
Imagine our poet-king, the monarch of Israel, gazing at the night sky, trying to find words that could express the boundless love of God. With only about 8,000 Hebrew words at his disposal, he reached for the greatest metaphor he could imagine: the immeasurable height of the heavens.
Even today, with all our scientific advancements, this metaphor holds great power. The observable universe spans 46 billion light-years—a vast scale that defies imagination. Yet David’s description of God’s steadfast love, His chesed, is no less incomprehensible. It is a covenant love, an unshakable commitment, the power of which dwarfs even the cosmos.
“As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love.”
These are words of awe, not just understanding. They are not a neat explanation but an invitation to wonder.
To the Moon and Back
As I read David’s words, I recall how I tried to express my love to our children and grandchildren. “I love you to the moon and back,” I’d say. Or I’d stretch out my arms and insist with a smile, “I love you t-h-i-s much.” These gestures, grand as they may feel in the moment, always fall short of the reality they attempt to convey.
David’s poetic reach, however, still resonates. His words stretch beyond our grasp, reminding us that God’s love is beyond measure—higher than the heavens, deeper than the cosmos, and more marvelous than we can ever fathom.
And yet, this love is not abstract. It is not a lofty philosophy, an idealized mindset, or an impersonal force. It is profoundly personal. It is a love given to “those who fear Him”—not with a cringing terror, but with a reverent awe, a deep recognition of His majesty and my utter dependence on Him.
To know God is to fear Him—in a good way. In the truest way. This kind of fear isn’t dread; it’s awe. It’s standing before the vastness of the universe, realizing just how small I am.
To the universe, I am insignificant—a mere speck on a small planet in a vast solar system, spinning within a galaxy among billions. To most of my community, I am a fleeting presence, and to future generations—even my descendants—I will likely be little more than a footnote in family records if remembered.
But not to the Creator of the universe. To Him, I am seen. To Him, I matter. To Him, I am a personal being, deeply loved. And because He loves me, I love Him too. This love fills me with awe and wonder—a fear rooted in worship, not trembling.
David meant this when he spoke of fearing the Lord: the humble posture of a heart fully aware of God’s greatness and the immeasurable love He pours out on His creation.
How often do I lose sight of this? How frequently do I scale God’s love to something I can imagine that fits neatly within my limited understanding? But David’s words call me higher.
They call me to expand my vision—to let myself be undone by the immensity of it all.
God’s love cannot be contained and is not meant to be fully understood. It is meant to be marveled at, to draw us into wonder, and to leave us in awe of the One who loves us so completely.
Reflection in the Mirror
Stand before a mirror. Look yourself in the eye and speak these words:
“[Your Name], God’s love for you is as high as the heavens are above the earth. It is vast beyond measure, deeper than you can fathom, wider than you can comprehend. This love is not earned but freely given to those who humbly acknowledge Him. Are you living in the light of this immense love? Are you letting it cast out fear, heal your insecurities, and transform how you see yourself and others? Bless the Lord, O my soul, whose steadfast love is as high as the heavens are above the earth!”
This is the kind of love that should leave us in awe. In a cosmos so vast it boggles the mind, it’s easy to feel small and insignificant. But this verse tells me something astonishing: the Creator of this immense universe knows and loves me with a love as vast as His creation.
The Apostle Paul chose a different way to describe the vastness of the love of God. He spoke powerfully about the love of God. It is as majestic as Job’s description and as moving as King David’s poetry.
For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family[c] in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:14-19
We may never fully grasp the height, depth, or breadth of God’s love. And perhaps that’s the point. Love this immense is not meant to be contained or explained—it is meant to be marveled at, to be rested in, to be shared.
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.”
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Psalm 103:11
The Rev. David Roseberry, an ordained Anglican priest with over 40 years of pastoral experience, offers leadership services to pastors, churches, and Christian writers. He is an accomplished author whose books are available on Amazon. Rev. Roseberry is the Executive Director of LeaderWorks, where his work and resources can be found.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." - I never realized how ancient this quote is until I started thinking about it.