- That I would have a greater knowledge and faith of God's overwhelming love for me.
- For goodbyes and transitions.
- For my family, especially my Mom, as I depart for Kenya.
With 10 days left before I depart for Kenya, I've been reflecting on one major thing. God's love for us, God's love for me. I was in a wedding last Saturday, and during the service they had a time of worship. A hymn they sung stayed with me for a couple days. "How Deep the Father's Love for Us" below are the words to this wonderful hymn.
You see, what I've been thinking about is how central to our Christian lives it is to know and believe God's love for us. If I could grasp this love, its height, depth, breadth, and length, if I could know this love which surpasses knowledge, then I would be 'filled up to all the fullness of God' (Eph 3:17-19). This was Paul's prayer for the Ephesians. It was a request for the impossible - to know that which is beyond knowledge, to comprehend something that has no boundaries, measurements, or limits. Its height takes us to the very throne of God (Heb 4:16), its depth pierces through us even to the division of soul and spirit (Heb 4:12), its breadth is as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12), and the length of the steadfast love of God is everlasting, enduring forever (Ps 136).
If I would truly know and believe in God's overwhelming love for me, I would long to love him in return and please him in all that I do. My greatest struggles with sin would be countered by this love because I would choose God over any lesser thing. My joy would be found in Him, my acceptance would be found in Him. I would not fear man nor what man can do to me because I am accepted in the Beloved of God. I would not do my work to please man and gain praise, but to give all glory to the Father whom I love.
This is not something that just happens immediately, but I must daily meditate and believe that this is true asking God to increase my faith and knowledge of His love and to increase my love for Him. But as this increases, so will my joy, my holiness, my compassion for others, my desire to shout and sing and teach of His glorious majesty and steadfast love.
Pray for me. Pray for others. Pray for yourself, "that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith; and that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
"How Deep the Father's Love for Us"
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
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