And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17b-19)
I’ve decided that there are two kinds of people in the world: those who prefer the mountains, and those who prefer the beach. Or those who prefer both. Or those who prefer neither.
I guess there are four types of people in the world.
Anyway, that’s beside the point. I am one who loves the mountains, though I also have great appreciation for the beach. One of the things that I love about both is that at the mountains and the beach one can really grasp the vastness of our planet. The giant rugged peaks piercing the sky are amazing to behold in their grandeur and majesty. The endless horizon across the ocean leaves me breathless to consider how deep and wide the water is.
Things like the grandeur of the mountains and the vast expanse of the ocean are how I feel like I should measure the magnitude of God’s love. Paul prays that we will be able to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,” all the while knowing that, truly, we cannot even begin to comprehend how great God’s love is.
When I look at the 14,000 foot mountain across the valley from our family cabin in Colorado, I know that God’s love is even greater than that.
When I look out from on high and see the sun rising well beyond the collection of peaks before me, I know that God’s love exceeds even that distance.
ocean more than 92 million miles away – that still doesn’t capture the whole measure of God’s love.
The truth be told, there is no adequate human measure for the love of God, because God’s love is infinite. Truly, God’s love surpasses knowledge.
Paul’s prayer for us – and my prayer for you – is that you will be able to experience God’s love today, because there is more love being poured upon you than you can possibly realize.
"I pray that you... know this love that surpasses knowledge"
I’ve thought of one other way to express the vast measure of God’s love. When our children were toddlers, we would ask them how big they were. And, with a bit of coaching from us, they would burst out in a smile, spread their arms clumsily out and over their heads, and they would say “Sooooo big!”
That’s God’s love: Sooooo big!
May you experience some of God’s “sooooo big” love today.
And every day.
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