(Psalm 103:11 NIV)
“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.” (Ephesians 3:18 NLT)
We are but a speck in the vast universe. How can God even notice us? Can His love reach the depth of our sins? Can His love penetrate to the deep pain of sins against us?
Just how vast is Jesus’ love? The ocean is so wide and long that we can’t see the end of it. Scientists work hard to find the deepest part of it, but that is still nothing compared to the depth of Jesus’ love. And looking up to the heavens, it is endless. And yet, Jesus’ love is still more. No bottom, no horizon, no limit.
Boundless love. Never confined to human limitations and more than enough for every person. Sometimes as parents or grandparents, we try to pay equal attention to every child, but we are so limited. The more children or grandchildren there are, the more difficult it is. We may grow exhausted trying to spread our time around. And yet, God never grows weary. He can spend His full attention on each one of us at the same time! As St. Augustine put it – “God loves every person as if there were no one else to love.” Amazing, isn’t it?
Yes! His inexhaustible love has the power to reach the most remote part of this world or of every heart, to forgive the most horrifying sin, and to heal the most excruciating soul pain.
God’s boundless love! As arching sky
Above us when we wake and sleep,
Above us when we smile and weep,
Above us when we live and die.
God’s tireless love! Beside the cot
Of her sick child the mother sleeps.
Our heavenly Father ever keeps
Unweary watch—and slumbers not.
God’s changeless love! The wand’ring one
Forsakes, forgets, dishonors; yet,
Repenting, going home, is met
With no reproach—“Welcome, My son!”
God’s mighty love! On Calvary’s height,
Suff’ring to save us from our sin,
To bring God’s wide dominion in,
And fill our lives with joy and light.
God’s endless love! What will it be
When earthly shadows flee away,
For all eternity’s bright day
Th’unfolding of that love to see!
~ Maltbie D. Babcock (1858-1901)
Reflection:
- Have you ever felt like your sin is too big for God to forgive or your pain is too devastating for God to heal? How did you feel and what did you do in these situations?
- According to Ephesians 3:18, we need “power” to understand the magnitude of God’s love. Read Ephesians 3:16. Describe the resources God has to empower us with inner strength through His Spirit.
- What does Matthew 19:26 tell us about God’s unlimited power?
Freed to Fly 