I drew these when I was listening to a sermon on Sunday about being rooted in God's love. At one point, he asked: "What is love to you?" My immediate heartfelt response was: "Christ dying on the cross for me". The passage cited was Ephesians 3:16-19.
I drew the first picture when the pastor was elaborating on those verses. To me, God's love would be the arrows extending towards infinity in four different directions. That, to me, was how much God loved us - the height, breadth, length and the depth. The second picture completed my understanding of love, which is expressed fully and completely in the cross.
The pastor said that the measure of the love we offer to others is also a measure of Christ's love which dwells in our hearts. If we close the door to Christ in our hearts, then we will not be able to extend love to others.
Our love to others flows out of Christ's love in us, that is, the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. It is this which enables us to love the "unlovables" because through human effort alone, we would fail miserably and we would find it exhaustive and emotionally draining. Without the Holy Spirit in us, we would not able to extend agape love - the unconditional love and concern for others, and also expressed in God's spiritual love for His people. God says this is how others will know us as His followers.
During our dark times, it is extremely difficult to believe that God loves us because all we can see is the deep hurt, the searing pain and the immense sorrow. Sometimes we feel like David in Psalm 13 (How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily?).
I have felt like David on a few occasions, when worries overwhelmed me, when fears threatened to sink me and my emotions got the better of me. My comfort? Taking one day at a time because "always remember that the future comes one day at a time" (quote by Dean Acheson), and knowing that God is piggybacking me because He knows my load is far too heavy for me to bear alone, even though I may not feel it. God is always with me, and that is enough for me.
During those times, I also find it a great comfort to read biblical verses that reassure me of who I am in the sight of God - fearfully and wonderfully made, and of such tremendous value to God that He would die for me.
Human memory is short and this is why we need to be diligent in reading the Bible daily, so that God's eternal promises fill our mind, our spirit and our soul and there is no room for Satan, whose role is to kill, steal and destroy.
Ephesians 3:13-19
13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
