Love of God.

 The Love of God

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man 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.

O, the love of God!

It is higher than the heavens, deeper than the sea.

It is longer than eternity,and it has found me.

It is a pursuing love,a covenant embrace,

That chose me in my brokenness and saved me by His grace.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

It is the love that held Him to the cross, the love that paid the cost,

The love that counts my rebellion as forever dead and lost.

It is the Father running,though I wandered far and wide,

To wrap me in His righteousness,and call me to His side.

Nothing can separate me—not the present or the past,

No height of joy,no depth of grief, no die that fate has cast.

No power of hell,no scheme of man, no angel’s whispered word,

Can sever me from this great love found in Christ my Lord.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life... nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

It is a patient love that teaches, a kind love that defends,

A love that never fails me,and never, ever ends.

So let this love be my beginning,my ending, and my song,

My safe and certain dwelling place,my all, my whole life long.

The love of God—

Wider, longer, higher, deeper than the soul can fathom.

My forever story.

Amen.

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Reflections on Divine Love

This poem touches on the nature of God's love as revealed in Scripture:

· Its Source: It originates entirely in God's own character (1 John 4:8). We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

· Its Ultimate Expression**: It is definitively demonstrated at the cross. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

· Its Scope: It is immeasurable (Ephesians 3:18-19) and unbreakable. No created thing can separate the believer from it (Romans 8:38-39).

· Its Effect: This love, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), casts out fear, compels our love for others, and becomes our eternal hope.

To meditate on the love of God is to be anchored in the most secure reality in the universe.