God Deals Bountifully

"I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me."

Psalm 13:6

Moses sang to God because He triumphed gloriously over his enemies, and David sung because God dealt bountifully with him.  God had heard David and delivered him out of His boundless mercy, and for this David rejoiced in the LORD.  I like how David said God "dealt bountifully" with him.  This "dealing" is not by chance like when cards are dealt in a game but speaks of God's merciful, purposeful and faithful dealings with those who trust in Him.  In baseball when a pitcher is dominant and mowing down hitters with ease, commentators, coaches and players alike say, "The pitcher was dealing today."  It is more than doling out what is expected or required but a generous demonstration of power and control without holding anything back.

God's dealings with mankind are bountiful according to His infinite and everlasting mercy and grace.  Psalm 103:8-12 reads, "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. ⁹ He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; ¹² as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us."  The LORD has not dealt with us according to what our sin deserves but has expunged our sin and rendered believers righteous through the Gospel.  The stain and guilt of our sin is gone, having been washed clean by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Peter began his second epistle in 2 Peter 1:2-4 by speaking of how generous God's dealings are with those who are born again by faith in Jesus:  "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, ⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."  God has extended the offer of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life to all people.  Even as we must receive a gift before we can appropriate it for our personal use, so only those who humble themselves before God in faith are enabled by His grace to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness.  God does not exclude anyone from humbling themselves before Him or surrendering their will before His:  man excludes himself from the presence and gifts of God by his unbelief, pride and self-righteousness.

Many people go through life lamenting the "bad hand" they have been dealt, but God's grace is sufficient for us.  Jesus expressed God's intent for those who trust and love Him in Luke 12:32, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."  According to God's divine power we have been given all in Christ, and we can sing with David how God has dealt bountifully with us.  What do we have we have not been given by God?  What can separate us from His endless love?  Praise the LORD He has dealt with us according to His mercy and grace and not according to our iniquity.