I pray that you… may have power… to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge. Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV)
Why does the apostle Paul pray like this for Christians? Because no matter how much we experience God’s love, we only know a taste of it, and we find it difficult to believe that God really loves us.
The Father knew everything about you before you were born. He knew all that you are, and all that is in you. He knew all you would do, and He gave you to His Son. And the Son received the gift.
The love of God is more personal than many Christians think. Yes, God loves the world, but, Christian, God wants you to know that He loves you! “The Son of God… loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Behind Christ’s death on the cross for you, and behind your coming to Him in faith, stands the Father, giving you to the Son.
Picture the Father saying, “Son, I love you and I have a great gift for you. I’m going to give you Jim and John and Mary and Melissa…” He goes on to speak the names of millions of people—from every nation and continent on the planet. And now He says your name! He does not read these names, because He knows every one of them.
Would you ask God to give you a bigger, deeper, wider, broader, higher view of God’s love for you, so that you would say, “I knew about the love of God, but I never knew He loved me this much!”?
