Ephesians 3:19 - Experiencing the Love of Christ and the Fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:19 (NLT) 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.
COMMENTARY PEARL
Minnie was a coworker in a jobs program
for disadvantaged youth. Minnie was hilarious,
many times without even trying to be. Everyone in
the office adored Minnie.
One day Minnie came to work looking glum.
When I asked her what was wrong, she said, "I
feel so unnecessary." The way she rolled her eyes
when she said it made me laugh, So Minnie! But
when I thought about her statement, it was
anything but funny.
In our our frantic, impersonal world
today, how many of us feel unloved, unwanted, or
unimportant? I know I've felt that way. I need to
reassure myself that Jesus's love is constant and
unwavering. Whether I deem myself good, bad, or
somewhere in between, Jesus loves me just the same.
His love is eternal and perfect, no matter the
circumstances.
I've been guilty of looking at myself
through another person's eyes and frequently falling
short. Seeking approval from others is a losing
proposition. My value comes from Jesus, who thought
highly enough of me to die for me.
I went over to Minnie, gave her a big
hug, and told her, Oh, Minnie, you're totally
necessary to me and to everyone in this office." She
gave me a smile, then went to her desk and got to
work. We all need to be reminded that we are
valuable, especially to Jesus. Pat Butler Dyson
Faith Step: Make a list of things that
make you valuable to Jesus. [Mornings With Jesus
2022 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]
COMMENTARY
Truth in Christ and through Christ is
measureless. The student of Scripture looks, as it were,
into a fountain that deepens and broadens as he
gazes into its depths. Not in this life shall we
comprehend the mystery of God's love in giving His Son
to be the propitiation for our sins. The work
of our Redeemer on this earth is and ever will
be a subject that will put to the stretch our
highest imagination. Man may tax every mental power
in the endeavor to fathom this mystery, but his
mind will become faint and weary. The most
diligent searcher will see before him a boundless,
shoreless sea.
The truth as it is in Jesus can be
experienced, but never explained. Its height and breadth
and depth pass our knowledge. We may task our
imagination to the utmost, and then we shall see only
dimply the outlines of a love that is
unexplainable, that is as high as heaven, but that stooped
to the earth to stamp the image of God on all
mankind.
Yet it is possible for us to see all that
we can bear of the divine compassion. This is
unfolded to the humble, contrite soul. We shall
understand God's compassion just in proportion as we
appreciate His sacrifice for us. As we search the word
of God in humility of heart, the grand theme of
redemption will open to our research. It will increase
in brightness as we behold it, and as we aspire
to grasp it, its height and depth will ever
increase.
Our life is to be bound up with the life
of Christ; we are to draw constantly from Him,
partaking of Him, the living Bread that came down from
heaven, drawing from a fountain ever fresh, ever
giving forth its abundant treasures. If we keep the
Lord ever before us, allowing our hearts to go
out in thanksgiving and praise to Him, we shall
have a continual freshness in our religious life.
Our prayers will take the form of a conversation
with God as we would talk with a friend. He will
speak His mysteries to us personally. Often there
will come to us a sweet joyful sense of the
presence of Jesus. Often our hearts will burn within
us as He draws nigh to commune with us as He
did with Enoch. When this is in truth the
experience of the Christian, there is seen in his life
a simplicity, a humility, meekness, and
lowliness of heart, that show to all with whom he
associates that he has been with Jesus and learned of
Him. COL128-130
What love, what matchless love, that,
sinners and aliens as we are, we may be brought back
to God and adopted into His family! We may
address Him by the endearing name, "Our Father,"
which is a sign of our affection for Him and a
pledge of His tender regard and relationship to us.
And the Son of God, beholding the heirs of
grace, "is not ashamed to call them brethren." They
have even a more sacred relationship to God than
have the angels who have never fallen.
All the paternal love which has come down
from generation to generation through the channel
of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness
which have opened in the souls of men, are but as
a tiny rill to the boundless ocean, when
compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God.
Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You
may meditate upon it every day of your life; you
may search the Scriptures diligently in order to
understand it; you may summon every power and
capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to
comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly
Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond.
In all His children God beholds the image
of His only-begotten Son. He looks upon them
with a love greater than any language can
express. He enfolds them in the arms of His love. The
Lord rejoices over His people. ML289
ONE LINER
To know God is to love Him; DA22
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Ephesians 3:19: Experiencing the Love of
Christ and the Fullness of God.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220927-0821.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220313-0955.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20201209-1009.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
