One of the most profound thoughts that could ever enter the human mind is this: that God loves me!
You do not have to be old to come to that realization. Even little children can know that God loves them. Nor is it an assurance that is attained by graduating to higher levels of learning through prescribed disciplines. Yet is it profound: to think that a holy God; -a majestic and almighty God; – an omniscient, omnipresent, altogether righteous Creator God, who fills heaven and earth with His presence, and could destroy the sum total of His creation at any moment-it is profound that He loves the individual, and that you and I can say, “God loves me.”
But that’s exactly what the Bible teaches. It is said too often, and in too many different places and ways through His Word for us to doubt it: “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom.5:8) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) “Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.” (Eph.5:2) “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jer.31:3)
Yes, incomprehensible as it may seem, God loves you. God loves me. Paul, in Ephesians 3:17-19 speaks of this transcending love: “That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height: and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.”
The breadth of God’s love. Its fountainhead is in the bosom of the Eternal Godhead and it reaches into the heart of the chiefest of sinners: “Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else.” (Isa.45:22) His love is as broad as humanity and all of humankind lies within the compass of His loving reach.
The length of God’s love is “from eternity to eternity” an “everlasting love.” However long and drawn out is my sin, His love surpasses it. He is the “eternal lover of every wandering sinner/soul.”
The depth of God’s love reaches to the deepest hell and raises from condemnation all who by faith will look to Him to be saved: “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” (Ps.40:2) From heaven above to the earth beneath; from God’s throne to a manger; from the glories at the right hand of God to the grossness of man’s groveling depravity—that is the depth of the love of God.
The height of the love of God. God’s love can lift the sin-sunken sinner from the deepest gutter all the way to the heavenlies’ highest, wash him, clothe him in spotless righteousness and proclaim Him to be “in Christ, a new creation” so that, with the Apostle, he can exclaim: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only but unto all them also that love His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:8).
I apologize that I cannot credit the following, but I am sure someone who was basking in the blessedness of God’s wondrous love penned these words: “No eloquence lavished upon the love of God can do it justice; no picture of it can look anything but dull and poor compared to its reality; go to the gospels and behold it as He lived and wrought for you and me; go to Calvary and stand and gaze upon His disfigured form upon the rugged tree; in all the mystery of Christ there is nothing more wonderful or past finding out than His love. In the final analysis, it defies analysis and ever escapes our definition. ‘Never man spake like this man,’ it was said of Him, but it could also be said, and rightly so, ‘Never man loved like this man loved.’”
The beloved song expresses the inexpressible as well as it could be said or sung: “The love of God is greater far, than tongue or pen can ever tell; it goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell; the guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child, He reconciled, and pardoned from his sin. Oh, love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure, the saints and angels’ song!” (Frederick Lehman, 1868-1953)
“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might be saved through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (I John 4:9,10)
YOU and GOD 