God's Unmeasurable Love

I’ve been trying to fathom God’s love. 
Paul prayed, 
And I pray that you, being rooted and established 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, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21.

As we grasp God’s love for us and become established in that love, we become filled with the fullness of God.
Wouldn’t that be the best place to be!
How do we get there?
It seems we should know this love of God, though the text says it surpasses knowledge. 
But knowledge would be a place to start.

Let’s consider God’s love.
God’s love is often compared to a mother’s love.  
A mother’s love represents the purest, most selfless form of love. It nurtures, comforts and is unconditional.
Here are some references of God’s love with those things in mind.

Isaiah 49:15 says, Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

Hosea 11:3-4 says, It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.

Psalm 131:2 says, But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.

Matthew 23:37 says, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Luke 13:34 says it also.

Deuteronomy 32:11-12 says Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them aloft. The Lord alone led him; no foreign god was with him.

Psalm 91:4 says, He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Isaiah 66:13 says, As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.

Hosea 13:8 says, Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open. Like a lion I will devour them—a wild animal will tear them apart.

The nurturing and unconditional qualities are reiterated throughout Scriptures.

Isaiah 54:10 says, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Psalm 103:13 says, As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

Romans 8:38-39 says, For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I John 4:16 says, And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them.

Isaiah 40:11 says, He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

The Scriptures are full of examples of God’s love for us.
Yet, when Satan attacks, questions or belittles, it is God’s love he often attacks.
People often ask, “If God is a god of love, how can He send people in Africa who have never heard about Him to hell?”
Or, “if God really loved me, this wouldn’t happen to me.”
Satan attacks God’s love.
If Satan attacks it, it’s probably something we should learn to defend.
Similar to what we’ve been talking about what and how we think.
When we doubt God’s love, we push God away concluding He doesn’t love me if these things happen. The very opposite of what God wants to happen. Troubles should make us know God more.
Without His Word firmly planted in our minds, we consider Satan’s questions and doubts.
For surely a God of love wouldn’t allow these things, IF He loved us.

How do we fight these questions?
We must take the knowledge that God loves us and apply them to the specific situation.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Corinthians 13:4-7.

How do we get God’s love beyond just knowing?
The beyond knowing comes through adversity, when hardships come and Satan asks, “Does God love you?” 
You take those verses and respond, “Yes, without a doubt.”
The beyond knowing comes when testing moves the words from your head to heart.

You trust those verses by faith when you cannot see it.

God gives you someone who is hard to love.
You know you should love them. But how?
Remember man, God’s creature?
Instead of worshipping Christ, man spit on him and crucified him. 
How ungrateful!

We can feel that as parents. 
Our child acts entitled. Shows no gratitude. Gives no respect.
That’s where God’s love shines through in strength.
It doesn’t give up.
It’s that dying daily for God’s will to be done in the life of that loved one.

John 15:13 gives the supreme test, Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinner, Christ died for us.

Christ wasn’t concerned about His reputation when He went to the cross. 
There’s no more humiliating death than the crucifixion—to be stripped naked and hung on a tree for all to see. 
His thoughts weren’t on Himself. He went there to save man.
Man—who was so unworthy, ungrateful, not even looking for help, arrogantly thought he did not need God.
It’s God’s love that sent Him to die.

We cannot achieve that love.
Not on our own. 
That’s why that verse says, we must be filled with the fulness of God.
It’s only God.
And when that love is shown.
We know it’s not us.
It’s God—God, shining through us.

Maybe you have one of those special children who are labeled by the world as “unlovable.” They do not cuddle, nor want your help. They think they can make their own decisions. They can do it on their own.
They treat you with distain, arrogantly tossing your counsel aside or ignoring it with contempt. 
They flounder in the consequences of their choices.
But will not turn back to consider your counsel.

That’s when we 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.
It is beyond you to stir up even a little kindness for this person.
It is a God-thing that you do not retaliate in anger or abuse.
It is God Who enables you to keep trying when they’ve cast you aside.

Proverbs 19:18 says, Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.
It is also God enabled to let go and allow consequences to bring repentance.
I should not doubt God’s love when my son reaps the consequences of his own actions. That tough love that may bring him to repentance.

Paul’s words give me hope.
That as I hold onto that love of God, that is greater than what I can even imagine, He will do immeasurable more than we ask or imagine—it will be His power working in me for His glory.

Paul’s prayer—it’s worth praying today.
God’s love—it’s beyond our imagination.

being rooted and established 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, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21.

I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
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               Sonya Contreras

Faith
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