The Love of God

READ: ROMANS 8:31-39; EPHESIANS 3:14-21

"Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made; were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill, and ev’ryone a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.”

The lyrics in this hymn, “The Love of God” by Frederick Lehman, often run through my head around Valentine’s Day. These lines demonstrate the paradox of God’s incomprehensible yet knowable love. We see this paradox in Ephesians 3:19, when Paul prays that his readers may be able “to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge.” How can we know the love of God that surpasses all knowledge?

Imagine if every person who ever lived, and ever will live, was given the job of describing the love of God in writing. For ink, they are given the equivalent of all the oceans on earth. For pens, they are given the equivalent of every blade of grass. The paper upon which they can write is as vast as the sky.

Now, imagine they exhaust every faculty of language—writing in every dialect, using every metaphor, combing every thesaurus, mining every dictionary, offering every similitude—to describe God’s love. They would still fall abysmally short of adequately communicating the greatness and perfection of God’s love.

Yet, as indescribable as God’s love is, it is still knowable. The Scriptures tell us that God’s faithful, covenant-keeping love endures forever. It never fails and never changes. And God has shown His love most clearly in this: He gave His Son to pay the penalty for your sin and to reconcile you to Himself. If you have put your trust in Jesus to save you, you are His. And I am persuaded that nothing can separate you from God’s great love in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). The indescribable has been clearly demonstrated. This Valentine’s Day, may you know the incomprehensible love of God, because you know the God of love. • Cameron DeCou

• How would you describe God’s love?

• What sorts of things cause us to doubt that God really loves us? How does refocusing our attention on Christ crucified help us when we don’t feel like God loves us?

• This Valentine’s Day, consider taking a moment to pray Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 for yourself, and then pray it again for someone you know.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:1 (CSB)