Grace abounding

"Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" Says your God." Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins." Isaiah 40:1-2

Double for all her sins!  That means that a double recompense has been offered for all our offenses against God, and that this was done by God himself. The words used refer to blood sacrifice, which we know was offered by the Servant of God whose work is described in Isaiah 53. Isaiah 61: says that Israel will have double honor to replace all her shame. Zechariah 9:12 declares that God will restore double to Israel.

It is hard to believe that where sin has abounded, grace super-abounds, as Paul affirms in Romans 5:20.

That means, among other things, that we can rejoice at all times; banish all our fears; forget about wallowing in guilt once we have repented, confessed, and trusted in God for forgiveness through the work of Christ. The Holy Spirit is now ours in abundance (Titus 3:6).

I don't know how this strikes you, but it stuns me. How do you plumb the depths of God's love, the wideness of his mercy, the greatness of his grace? Is there any excuse now for plodding along, joyless and grim? Or do we now have the high privilege and immense pleasure of actually enjoying God and all he brings our way?