God’s Steadfast Love: A Psalm 36 Devotional on True Satisfaction in God

June 2, 2025

What is most precious to you? What do you long for more than anything else? Psalm 36 pushes us to wrestle with that question. It shows us that while sin promises satisfaction, it never delivers. True satisfaction is found in the steadfast love of God—His never-failing, covenant kindness. God’s love is the fountain of life.

The Contrast: Self-Love vs. God’s Steadfast Love

Psalm 36 opens with a dark picture: “Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes.” (Psalm 36:1)

In the Psalms, there’s a categorical difference between the wicked and the righteous. The wicked live with a heart that’s tuned to rebellion, not reverence. Without awe of God, they become full of themselves. David writes of people who:

  • Flatter themselves instead of fearing God
  • Speak trouble and deceit instead of truth
  • Plot evil even in the quiet of the night

It’s a picture of a heart that has turned inward—consumed by self, cut off from light. But David doesn’t stay there. In one of the sharpest turns in all of Scripture, he pivots in verse 5 to the glory of God’s love:

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep.” (vv. 5–6)

At first glance, it might seem like David is just switching topics without warning. But it’s actually incredibly intentional. David wants us to see that God’s love shines brightest against the darkness of human sin. Against the backdrop of wickedness, the steadfast love of God stands out all the more—like Aslan’s kingdom breaking through the White Witch’s frozen reign in Narnia. Where sin and self-love bring ruin, God’s love brings refuge and life.

Creation Reflects God’s Steadfast Love

David uses images of creation to paint the depth of God’s love. In this, we see that God’s creation is an index for his character. Something in creation is an anchor point for something we see in God. The vastness of the sky, the strength of the mountains, the mystery of the ocean depths, and the constancy of the sunrise—these are not random. They’re symbols in creation that point us to the God we serve:

  • The sky’s vastness mirrors his boundless love.
  • The mountains’ strength reflects his immovable faithfulness.
  • The ocean’s depths hint at his unsearchable judgments.
  • The sunrise’s constancy echoes his unwavering righteousness.

This isn’t random poetry. It’s a reminder that the One who made the world fills it with meaning—and his love is the ultimate gift. 

“How precious is your steadfast love, O God!” (v. 7)

Feasting on God’s Love: The True Satisfaction Our Hearts Crave

God’s love isn’t just something we talk about in church. It’s a refuge for the soul. A place of rest, shelter, and delight. It’s where we’re meant to feast: “They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” (vv. 8–9)

Is It God We Love—Or Just His Gifts?

Here’s the challenge: Do we really treasure God himself—or just the things he gives us? David says that with God is the “fountain of life.” He isn’t just the source of blessings—he is the blessing.

So often, like kids waiting for souvenirs when Dad comes home from a trip, we’re more interested in what God brings than in who he is. But God’s love is meant to be the deepest well our hearts draw from. His love is better than approval or popularity. His love is better than money or comfort. His love is better than whatever life we thought we wanted.

How the Gospel Opens the Way to the Fountain of Life (Psalm 36:10)

But how can sinners who once rejected God (verses 1–4) come to experience this river of delight (verses 5–10)? The answer is the gospel. Jesus died to take the penalty of verses 1–4 to give us the delights verses 5–10. He took the punishment of our rebellion so that we could be called children of God, loved and secure.

One pastor put it like this: “Our God is the One who, even when you lose the game, still takes you out for ice cream.” That’s steadfast love.

Let God’s Steadfast Love Shape You Today

So here’s the invitation:

  • If you’re not yet a believer, what is truly precious to you? Is it filling the void, or do you sense God calling you to himself?
  • If you are a believer, are you living out of that love today—or just coasting on old knowledge?

David’s final prayer is our prayer too: “Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your righteousness to the upright of heart!” (Psalm 36:10)

Final Word

Psalm 36 shows us that in a world full of self-love and self-flattery, there is a better feast—the precious, steadfast love of God. So, let’s run to him. Let’s drink deeply from his river of delights. Because his love is better than life itself.

Watch the full sermon from week four of our “A Selection of Psalms” sermon series: