Are We There Yet? Devotional by UnitedSample

TITLE: Blown Away

LYRIC: ‘What You went through to love me I'll never understand. What blows my mind away is You love me as I am.’ - Blown Away

SCRIPTURES:

• Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT
• John 3:16-17 NIV

DEVOTIONAL:

One of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith is to know and understand the love of God and yet still be unable to fully grasp it. Ephesians 3:18-19 (NLT) says, “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” The apostle Paul’s prayer for the Church is that they would have the power to understand God’s love, but still he concedes that, “it is too great to understand fully”. This is a common experience for Christians. We boldly hold to the truth that, “God so loved the world” (John 3:16 NIV), and at the same time, when we consider ourselves, our position to God, and how magnificent He is in comparison, we can ultimately find ourselves echoing the same words or sentiment as Job: “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” (Job 42:3 NIV). The crucifixion of Jesus is the chief example of God’s love for humanity. Though we are called to continually remember this event (and therefore remember God’s love), on another level it is impossible for us to comprehend the mighty love of God that was poured out at the cross of Jesus Christ. This is why the words “What You went through to love me I'll never understand. What blows my mind away is You love me as I am” are such powerful ones to reflect on.

Despite our inability to fully grasp this incredible mystery of the love of God, Paul encourages us that as we “experience” this love, we will be made complete. And herein lies the key to this paradox. The love of God is not something for us to fully grasp, but truth to live in and experience. The love of God may be understood to an extent and be impossible to grasp to another extent, but between these two extremes is the opportunity to live in His love. We have the opportunity to open up our hearts to his goodness, to continually thank Him for His kindness toward us, and to worship Him for this love that we have come to know yet do not fully understand.