And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3: 16-19 The Message
Writing to the Christians at Ephesus, Paul desires to communicate Christ’s amazing love. He tries to get them to stretch their imaginations. Therefore, he encourages them to imagine God’s love as something higher, wider, longer, and deeper than they could possibly imagine. Never even in their wildest dreams could they possibly grasp the exceeding nature of Christ’s love for us.
Many Christians try to convey this same message about the unbelievable nature of Christ’s love for us through music. Many songs have been written embracing this theme.
One that immediately comes to mind for me is: “Lord, I Lift Your Name on High”, which speaks of the height of God’s love.
The song, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”, describes the depths of His love for all of us. A hymn which echoes this same thought is “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus”.
The point of Paul’s writing is that Christ’s love for us exceeds our understanding. We may think that we have reached the end of His love for us, but the Lord never runs out of patience and love for us. In the height of our joy, and in the depth of our sadness, God’s love will reach us.
Rejoice in the multi-dimensional, inexhaustible nature of Christ’s love for you! Always be assured that Jesus LOVES YOU! Praise him for a love which is higher, wider, and deeper than we can dream. Plus, this love goes on, and on, and on. As Paul reminds us in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Love never ends. And the greatest of these [qualities] is love.” Amen.
Prayer
Loving and Holy God,
Sometimes I wonder why you continue to love me. I forget to give you praise for even the little things. There are times when I fall for the ways the world, which are constantly pulling me away from You. Thank you for reminding me through this passage that your love is endless, and enduring. Help me to appreciate the heights you go to, and the lengths you have gone to, in order to save me, and all sinners. I pray this prayer in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
