Measuring Stick

Dear Friend:

Good Morning! This morning I am reflecting on the lesson that I taught to the “tweeners.” Is that what they are calling the kids in middle school today? Anyway, I gave each girl a 12 inch ruler and asked them to measure God’s love. Guess what? They couldn’t. We all quickly realized that God’s love was so big it was infinite….

I prayed for them like Paul prayed for the Ephesians saying “Lord, I pray with 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 the fullness of God.”

We focused on the command in Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Every girl agreed that would be like your whole self. I asked the question “how do you do that?” How can we love God in such a big way? The verse above helps us to understand. To grasp God’s love for us and to know that love is the beginning of the knowledge to help us grow closer to God. Their favorite verse that many of them wrote on their rulers to take home was in 1 John 4:19 we love because he first loved us. I challenged them to read on in that same chapter it said in verse 20 “if anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. This is what I believe really spoke to their hearts. When they say I hate so and so they are really saying “I hate God.” God created all and loves all. WOW! Are they getting this love? Are you getting this love?

It is really big and really hard to fathom, but critical because God commands love. How do you surrender yourself to love God? It takes baby steps, but it is just a prayer away. It is communicating day by day with Our Father in heaven. Believing He exists to benefit your life on earth and your life eternally with Him. Experiencing God and loving others in your everyday life is a choice. Just as you choose to get to know a human here on earth and love them we must choose to get to know Our Father in Heaven. Each of us is getting to know God each time we meet talking about Him and reading the word. It can only lead to love.

I will leave you with the most powerful way to grasp God’s love. For God so loved the world (that’s you) that He gave His one and only Son (JESUS), that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son (JESUS) into the world (you) to condemn the world (you), but to save the world through Him. We all are bent toward doing wrong at times, but Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross and they nailed His hands and pierced His feet and HE said “I LOVE YOU, I AM TAKING ALL OF YOUR WRONG DOING ON ME ON THIS CROSS.” That is how much He loved you! Powerful! Do you know anyone who would die for you in such a brutal way?

Let’s pray: Father in heaven, Oh to know the love that surpasses all knowledge, help me to grasp it. Thank you that I have the word to read about your love. Thank you that you can help me to experience your love here on earth. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Reading the Bible is like reading the greatest love story. We also read 1Corinthians 13 1-8 “The love chapter.” Read it to find out God’s unconditional (not limited to any absolute, unreserved, conditions) love. We always have conditional (granted on certain terms) love.

Reading the love story,

Elaine