How Much Love?
Love is the answer
God Loves Us! We know that. We’ve been told since Sunday school, Jesus loves me yes I know, for the Bible tells me so. But what does the Bible say about this awesome, amazing, even unfathomable love? Lots! Let’s try to scratch the surface.
I guess it’s been 4 years or so ago. I had the privileged of teaching the Junior High students at church one Sunday. I decided to do a little math to demonstrate how great God’s love is. It fell a little flat, so I hesitate to go there here, but only a little. Here goes.
It starts with one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Psalm 103:11.
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.”
That’s quite a statement. God’s lovingkindness towards those who fear Him is as high as the heavens! When this was written a few thousand years ago, it wasn’t really understood how high the heavens are. Now we have Hubble Telescopes and reflectors and refractors with giant mirrors on mountain tops that explore the deepest reaches of space. God’s creation really does pour forth speech!
Let’s say that the farthest we’ve seen into the Universe is as high as the heavens are. I have a feeling they are a lot higher, but the second heaven at least may be about 12 billion light years “above our heads.” OK. Now we can do some math! (this is where I lost the Jr. High class).
Light travels at 386,000 miles per second. 386,000 x 60 = 23,160,000 miles per minute x 60 = 1,389,600,000 miles per hour x 24 = 33,350,400,000 miles per earth day x 364.25 = 3,143,275,200,000 miles in a year x 12,000,000,000 light years = 9,429,825,600,000,000,000 miles. In other words a galaxy 12 billion light years away is 9,429,825,600,000,000,000 miles away! At a minimum, that’s how high the heavens are above the earth and at a minimum that’s how much God loves YOU!
Still not convinced? I promise I won’t do the math on this one. Consider Psalm 139:17 & 18a:
17How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand
So God’s precious thoughts towards you would outnumber the sand?! How many grains of sand do you suppose there are? Starting to get the point?
Paul prayed that we might comprehend this mystery in Ephesians 3
14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
20Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
AMEN! Now there’s a prayer.
God told me once and has reminded me many times since then, “Don’t ever forget how much I love you.” The God who gave His life so that I could live in His presence forever wants to have a close, intimate friendship with me, Mike Nobody. But see, I’m not a nobody, and neither are you. Because of what Jesus did we are God’s adopted kids with rights of full sonship and full daughtership! Don’t forget it. If you believe that Jesus is God’s only Son who gave His life for you and rose from the dead on the third day, then you are God’s kid!
I’ll leave you with this. When Jesus went to the cross, knowing what He was going to endure, had you on His mind. Hebrews 12:2
2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus endured the cross with the joy set before Him. Jesus was thinking of you! He was already rejoicing in your choice to trust in Him even as He suffered.
How much love? (stretching out His arms on the cross) This much.
