Ephesians 3:16-19 (ESV)

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that 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.”

This is another passage that soars to incredible heights with theological meaning, but whose application should bring you down to one final and breath-taking conclusion: God loves you beyond measure. To get a fuller, more personal understanding, insert your name after each “you,” so that it reads something like this:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you, Steve, with power…

The Bible is not some obscure document written to a bunch of people who lived and died in days gone by. It is the living, breathing Word of God and it has real power to change lives…but not until you comprehend the one reality on which it rests: God’s love. This incredible LOVE willingly left paradise to rescue what had been lost. It paid the price you couldn’t pay. It built the bridge you couldn’t build. All of that before you even acknowledged His presence.

From there, God’s love came after you. It got your attention. It opened your eyes to the truth. It gave you the faith to believe. And now that you have, God’s love gives you the power to understand His Word and to obey His commands and to love others as He loves you. Paul prayed that we would “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge.” I pray along with him that we do.