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Listen while you read: "Christ For The World We Sing"1 (Lyrics) |
Isaiah 40:12 – Who has scooped up the ocean in his two hands, or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger? Who has put all earth's dirt in one of his baskets, weighed each mountain and hill? (MSG)
Riding in the back seat, our two small boys were excited as we neared Redwood National Park in California, USA. We told them that we would soon see very old giant trees. As we got out of the car and walked to one of the ancient Sequoias, we could not contain our amazement as we saw its immense girth and height. We mistakenly thought that we could try to capture this moment of wonderment to keep with us. So of course, we took the classic photos standing in front the majestic Seqouia. Then, we had another brilliant, spur-of-the-moment, creative idea.
The boys took some of our camping rope from the car, circled the giant trunk, and tied the rope to mark the meeting point. When we returned home, we circled the rope on the grass in our small backyard. It was astounding to see how much space that it surrounded! The rope was a very creative marker, yet it failed miserably in encapsulating our experience.
Trying to fathom God's love is like that, too. A children's Bible teacher once suggested asking children to try to measure God's love by using a tape, a clock, and a measuring cup, and by reading these three Bible verses and responding:
- Psalm 108:4 – For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. (NIV) Response: No tape can measure it!
- Psalm 103:17 – But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children. (NIV) Response: No clock can measure it!
- Psalm 23:5b – My cup overflows. (NIV) Response: No measuring cup can hold it!
We experience many things in that way. We gaze at brilliant stars, behold sunrises and sunsets, imagine ocean depths, and thrill at mountaintop vistas. Our responses involve trying to comprehend the great distance between our smallness and a seemingly unending expanse. Our human minds grope, trying to take it in. We are instinctively drawn to know and understand more. Our searching can lead us to the truth of God's absolute love. Do you feel the urge to explore? The apostle Paul prayed this for his friends:
Ephesians 3:17b-19 – And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. (MSG)
Prayer: Almighty God, how we long to take in the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Teach us more and more as we plant our feet firmly on that love. May it flow from our lives back to You in praise. Amen.
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May it be so, Sharon.
Thank you, Sharon, for this great application to a wonderful story.
Amen to your comparisons of wee souls and our Lord’s grand love.
Thank you, Sharon. Great imagery! I’ve been to those trees, they are magnificent, as is God.
Sharon, the verses you’ve used emphasize and express so well the greatness of God’s love for us. Thanks for your illustration and story which help us understand this blessing even more.
Thank you, Sharon, for another of your special writings. So true that God’s love is beyond anything that we could measure and for that we need be very thankful. Blessings for this devotional today.
What a great way to compare the size of the tree to something you are familiar with. Then those three proofs of God’s love being beyond all human comprehension. Wow! Great encouragement. Thank you.
Lovely way to mark God’s creation with your sons.
Great devotional, Sharon, especially as the nights darken the sky and we see amazing sunsets.
We light a candle to remember our son and an old friend who died of cancer.
Bless you for your writing,
(BC)
Good morning, Sharon,
I really enjoyed hearing about the children’s Bible lesson and your children taking the circumference of the tree as a reminder of how truly large the Sequoia are. I have never seen one and marvel at the pictures I have seen. It is so true that we cannot measure or really even fathom the size of Jesus’ love for His world. We can see and remember examples of how He has been there for us and others, which helps to build our trust in the Lord so that we can thank Him and pass along our faith to others. Thanks for sharing from your experience of how awesome He is in our lives. Blessings.
Good morning, Sharon. This is so true. My island is surrounded by the ocean, and so many times I think of Scriptures about God’s love. There is no end to what I see, and there is no end to God’s love! When I look over to my right, I am amazed with the mountain and the Scripture, “Unto the hills I lift my eyes. Where does my strength comes from?” The mountain is always there, even though we might not always see it because of the fog or clouds. We don’t always see God, but He is always here. When the big waves hit our volcanic rocks, it reminds me of God’s power, and then when I hear the water running back over the small rocks and stones, I think of the gentleness of God. Yes, I love it here for so many reasons! God bless.
Amen and amen! Thanks for sharing. Blessings.