God Speaking

“And I pray that you being rooted in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep , is the love of Christ”

(Ephesians 3: 17 – 18)

Love. It is a common word for all of us and we use it to describe a wealth of different reactions. Sometimes at its lowest capacity, we use it like this;

• I love hot dogs
• I love the sweater you are wearing
• I love cats
• I love summer.

Other times it takes on a much greater emotion and is used to describe inmost feelings. We may tell our school friends that we love them, but that does not compare to when we first utter those words to someone, we hope to spend the rest of our lives with. Then again it has a different connation when we tell a dearly loved relative who is dying, how much we love them.  So how do we understand love when we tribute it to our Heavenly Father? 

The other word found in scripture, is lavish and linked to describe love  

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called, children of God. And that is what we are!”

1 John 3: 1

We also use this word in many ways, and we might use it to describe an abundant feast. One of my friends was describing a fantastic wedding banquet and said.  “the food kept coming, it seemed never ending it was a very lavish display”. We might admire some film star’s dress and marvel how lavish it is. So again, how do we link the word lavish with God’s love. So, when we read God lavishes his love on us, it is extravagant love, never ending, a beautiful display that awes us humans. 

When Paul is writing to the Ephesians, (Ephesians 3: 17 – 18), he prays that they may grasp just how wide and long and deep and high is this love. He wants to impress on them that this love has no limit, It does not have a human restriction. We often limit the word when we use it, e.g. I will continue to love you if you keep loving me, or if you disappoint me, I will stop loving you. We can withhold love very easily. God never withholds his love from us. 

John sums it all up in a very, simple but profound way. 

“So we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.”

1 John 4: 16

Knowing God is love itself and know that his love for us is lavish and his love is unchanging and perfect, gives us a sense of security even when life is swirling around us with unsettling ups and downs.  

This is another one of my favourite verses about love because it assures us that his love will never fail and we can be blessed with joy every morning knowing just that and a lovely prayer to say every morning. 

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”

Psalm 90: 14