Today's post features a verse near the beginning of a Psalm composed to commemorate the special relationship David enjoyed with God - and the promises God made David as a result of that special relationship. 

Of course - a Psalm is a song.

David loved the Lord - so the Lord loved David. 

Of course - David couldn't have loved the Lord if God hadn't loved him and pursued him first. 

Of course - there eventually came a day when David had to survive - so the Lord had to sustain him - to preserve him.  David fought for his and his flock's life - while "just a child."

Why'd God love him as snot-nosed little shepherd?  A stinker out in the wilderness? 

Have you ever asked that question? Ever wonder - "why didn't God love me that way?"

Well ...

Who says He didn't?

Who says He doesn't?

What if God does love you - as He loved David? What if God loves you now - right now - in this moment - as much as He ever loved anyone in any part of the Bible?  What if - God's got a whole list of promises - just like the ones we read here between Himself and David - but "customized" for you? 

Can you wrap your head around that? 

It's true.

And it's vastly more easy to comprehend if you allow yourself to revel in the depth of God's love for you a little every day.  If it's hard to believe ... that means you need to hear it - think about it - and revel in it MUCH, MUCH MORE.

When I was a student in college - I used to put nails in my pockets - to remind myself of my sins that led Christ to face the cross on my behalf. My mom used to get so mad at me for ruining one pair of jeans after another. 

David however - didn't put nails - or any other reminder of sin - in his pockets or his shepherd's pouch or whatever.  He carried a harp around - and wrote Psalms - or "songs" as we'd call them if we composed them.  Mostly his songs were about God's faithfulness, God's goodness, God's protection, God's leading David - as a shepherd leads sheep. 

To be sure sometimes David talked about God's righteous anger or His wrath even.

But there's much more about God's love. 

Maybe we don't feel more of God's love because we don't think about it.

Maybe today we can take a moment to ponder - and consider - and take a leap of faith to deeply inhale the beautiful scent of all the ways God's love for us shows up in our lives. Maybe in so doing we can see the special relationship that God longs to grow with us too.