November 24, 2014
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28 NIV).
Friend to Friend
Don’t get mad at me. We’re going to look at Ephesians 3 and God’s love for us one more time!
Paul wanted that love relationship for himself, and he wanted it for you. Let’s read it again. Third time’s the charm.
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 fullness of God,” (Ephesians 3:17-19, emphasis mine).
Paul prayed that you would be rooted like a tree firmly fixed with deep roots, able to withstand the storms and droughts of life. He also prayed that you would be firmly established in God’s love like a building with a strong foundation that will not move with shifting times. And he prayed that you would know…oh, that you would know.
Notice Paul used the words know and knowledge. The first word, know, is the Greek word gnosis or ginosko. This word encompasses a very personal level of familiarity and was often used to describe the intimate relationship between a husband and a wife. This word is not simply head knowledge, but an intimate heart knowledge.
The word he used for knowledge is a little different than the Greek word gnosis. It is more head knowledge, an intellectual reckoning. Paul was praying that you would know by experience what youknow in your head. That type of knowing comes through glory moments when you experience God as you live and move and have your being in Him. You don’t get that by studying alone. You get that by experiencing God through an intimate relationship.
Paul really wanted us to “get it,” when it came to understanding God’s love for us and His desire for intimacy. “I pray that you may grasp…” It almost sounds like a pleading. “Come on friend,” he might have said. “You’ve got to get this. You’ve got to grab hold of this truth. This is not about having a religion in your life. I had a religion and I was the most miserable man alive. This is about having a relationship with Christ. This is important!”
The Greek word for grasp is katalamana and means “to lay hold of, seize with eagerness, suddenness…” Suddenness! I love that word. I can almost hear God saying… “Surprise! This is just for you! Lay hold of it! A sudden glory!”
When moments of sudden glory occur, when you catch a glimpse of just how much God loves you, then grab hold. Grasp the moments. Seize them with eagerness. Don’t let go.
Let’s Pray
Jesus, I love you so much. Thank You for loving me and making Your presence known through moments of sudden glory. Help me to see You, to hear You, to sense Your presence as I go through my day.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us by Stuart Townendis a wonderful song about God’s love for us. If you know the tune, let this be your song today. Go ahead and sing it. God’s listening! If you don’t know the tune, Google the title. It’s worth discovering.
Stuart
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that left Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
More From the Girlfriends
Do you long to feel close to God but feel like there’s something missing? That you’ve missed that mysterious formula to make it happen? Do you have a glory ache—a persistent longing to experience God’s presence and working in your life, but you’re not quite sure how to make it happen? If so, my book, A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More, is just for you. Join me in discovering how to erase the lines between the secular and the sacred and experience a deeper more intimate relationship with God than ever before. While you’re there, you can download a free chapter or watch a video book trailer.
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Girlfriends in God
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