Monday prayer & verses (08 03 2010)

Thought for the day

Fridtjof Nansen was a Norwegian explorer who led an expedition to the Arctic Ocean in a search for the North Pole. He took his ship in very deep water and, as part of his studies, he would drop a sounding line to check the ocean's depth. Since the line was too short to reach the bottom of the ocean, he would record the date, time, location, length of line, and a final note of “deeper than that”.

He then lowered a longer line with the same result and notation, “deeper than that”. Another attempt, still “deeper than that”. Finally, after lowering his longest line, the logbook received the final notation of so and so length of line and “deeper than that”.

I want to suggest to you that that's the way God's love is. No matter how we may try to measure it, his love is deeper than that. John tells us in I John 4:8 that “God is love”, but I feel rather overwhelmed and challenged by the task of trying to explain this incredible doctrine.

A.W. Tozer struggled to explain God’s love as well. He once said, “I can no more do justice to this awesome and wonder-filled topic than a child can grasp a star. Still, by reaching toward the star the child may call attention to it and even indicate the direction one must look to see it. And so, I stretch my heart toward the high, shining love of God so that we may be encouraged to look up and have hope.”

Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:17-19, "[I pray] that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Paul prayed that the Ephesian Christians might be able to comprehend the love of Christ, but he said that it is a love that truly surpasses knowledge. As difficult as it may be, I encourage you seek to grasp a better understanding of the love of God, for it is there that you will find the motivation to love Him in return and to love others around you.

Verses

2 Corinthians 4:13

Yet we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, I have believed, and therefore have I spoken. We too believe, and therefore we speak.

Isaiah 53:5

But he was wounded for the wrong things we did. He was crushed for the evil things we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him. And we are healed because of his wounds.

Matthew 16:19

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind -- that is, declare to be improper and unlawful -- on earth must be already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth -- declare lawful -- must be what is already loosed in heaven.

1 Peter 3:12

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

2 Corinthians 8:9

For by experience you know the unmerited favor shown by our Lord Jesus Christ; that although He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, in order that by His poverty you might become rich.

Prayer

Father, Your warnings regarding the deluge of deceitful tactics from the enemy is evidenced all around us – through the media, books, false prophets and even well-meaning but confused individuals. Your Word is the stabilizing and authoritative doctrinal manual for all that I need for life and godliness. You promise to bring maturity into my Christian walk as I apply Your teaching so that I attain to the fullness of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone. Help me to be wise, studied, and vigilant so that I correctly discern good from bad, truth from error. In Your holy name I pray, Amen.