His Breadth of Love

It is overwhelming when we really grasp -- down to the depths of our souls -- the quality of God's love for us. God knew, long before Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, that once they arrived in the wilderness, they'd create and worship that horrid golden calf. But knowing that, He still caused the destroyer to pass over their houses when they had the blood on the door. He knew they'd later murmur against Moses once they arrived in the wilderness -- but knowing that eventuality, He opened up the Red Sea anyway. God knew the children of Israel would eventually complain about the Manna, but He gave it to them anyway -- in a place where no other sustaining food was readily available.

Of course I suppose God's ultimate action along this line was this: Jesus knew most would reject Him, but He died on the cross anyway.

It's one thing for a parent to make big sacrifices for his children -- not realizing that maybe later those children might be ungrateful. But to know in advance -- well let's face it. Most of us would lose heart and not bother making those sacrifices in the first place if we knew that in the future our children would not be appropriately grateful. But God loved us that much. What an incredible thought.

Oh that we might be able "to comprehend ... what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge ... (Ephesians 3:18-19)

If you want Jesus' love to be shed abroad and appropriated to your heart, talk to Him and tell Him so. How to start? Say to Him: "Oh Jesus, be merciful to me, a sinner." Pour out your heart to Him, just as if you could see Him sitting in a chair across from you. Then tell Him: "Oh Jesus, I just can't go on like this. I've messed up and I'm really sorry. I give my heart to You and to You only. Save me and change me -- as only You can!" If you do that and you really mean it, you'll become a new creature in Christ Jesus. Find a Bible (go to biblos. com if you can't find an old-fashioned one made out of paper.) Start reading in Genesis. Ask your new Lord to show you what He wants you to see. Talk to Him and keep talking to Him. Listen for Him to talk to you. (Check out 1 Samuel 3:3.)

I am writing this in obedience to God. I confess I've tried getting away from it for quite awhile now. I told God: "I don't have a way to get the message out." Then when He sent an individual to me telling me how easy it is to start a blog, I said: "I'm not a computer teckie. I don't even know how to spell that term! No one will ever read it anyway." Look, I don't even know if you can write me back or contact me in any way. That's how unskilled I am in this new computer-savvy world in which I find myself. So I guess I'll just leave it to the Lord. But if you have somehow found this message and Jesus is not the Lord of your life, or if you've found this message and it has been a help to you (and if there really is a way to contact me!), let me know.

Roberta Potts