For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV)
I am fascinated when I see feats of strength by men and women who are able to perform unusually difficult things with their bodies - like strapping an airplane to their body and walking it down a runway or to lift an inordinate amount of weight all by themselves. To see their bodies work through whatever pain or uncomfortableness they might have is truly amazing.
But that didn't come naturally. There might be a certain amount of natural born strength that they have because of their DNA but it mostly comes through hard work in the gymnasium with workouts and weights, etc.
But there is another type of strength that Paul prays for in this passage: a strength in our inner being. It is the strength of knowing and understanding about the love of God in our lives. God is love - period. Paul prays that as we come to know "Him" we will also come to know his deep and caring love that He has for us and the extent that He would go to prove to us how deeply loved we are by Him.
It is a little difficult for us to understand this type of love because as we live on earth - love is often measured by how little there is and hateful mankind can be. We look at the places where we don't have love and where we don't love like we should and wonder how can God really love us and what does real love actually look like. We live with hurts from those who are in our lives that have shown us anything but love and confuse that with type of love that God gives to us.
This passage helps us past that hurdle. I can't understand or know God or love on my own. My mind and heart are too finite - too corrupted. But it can be known by the power of Christ working in our lives. Paul tells us "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us."
You can't manufacture that love or even understand it without the power of God who is ABLE to reveal it to you in abundant ways. When God sent His son Jesus to die for our sins - that was the ultimate proof of His love to us. Who would do that with His only son? Who would go to such great lengths to reveal His nature to us? It can only be by a God who really loves and cares for us - who is willing to lay down His life for each and every one of us.
May I encourage you today to stop for a moment and thank our Heavenly Father for loving and revealing Himself to you and your life.
YOU ARE SO LOVED BY GOD!
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