And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. – Ephesians 3:17b-19
The day we met
I will never forget the day I met Him. He was the kindest, most loving being I had known. A sensation of peace and joy overwhelmed me. The past year had been filled with such dark moments. I had nearly given up all hope of finding joy again. I certainly didn’t expect that I could feel such a joy as I did in His presence.
When I invited Him to be in my life, He promised that He would stay with me forever. He promised to be my protector. With Him I would always be safe. I no longer had anything to fear. After all the torment of the preceding year, a captive of my own malevolent thoughts, my heart was set free.
I had something to live for again. But it was more than that. I had significance. My life was worth something. No longer would I walk aimlessly through life. I now had a purpose.
I also had a guide. He swore He would see me through to my final destination and even then He would not leave me.
“But what if I find I no longer have the strength to keep walking?” I asked Him. He replied, “I will carry You and You will have my unfailing strength on Your side. You cannot fail.”
I had never known anyone like Him. He was one of a kind. Everything I needed.
“Where have You been all my life?” I asked.
He replied, “I have been with You since the beginning. You just never noticed me. I was with you in the good times and the bad, always watching over you, waiting for you to look up and see Me. I have never left you, nor will I ever leave you. I have loved you forever and forever I will love you.”
What a fool I’ve been! I thought. And yet He is still here, after all this time. No matter how rude and ignorant I may have been, He never gave up on me.
It was more than I could comprehend. Such a love was unknown to me. How could He be so patient? How could He continue to love me, despite the horrible things I had done to Him?
It seemed impossible, but He loved me so much that He was willing to die a gruesome death for me. He was willing to submit Himself to temptation, hatred, betrayal and torture, to pay a formidable price to set me free.
“And I would have done it just for You,” He told me. “That is how deep my love is for you.”
For the first time in my life, I realised what it truly meant to be awestruck. The word awesome had been carelessly used for so long that little meaning was left. But, in that moment, I understood it in its truest sense.
Though I didn’t understand how He could love me, I knew in the deepest part of my soul that He did. I had read tales of great romance, but I knew at that moment that this was the greatest love story ever to be told.
A story for everyone
If you have been a Christian for any amount of time, You will know this story well. You know it even though you have never read this version before. You know it because have experienced it. You know it because it is your story.
You may not have had such an obvious conversion or have suffered through dark times like I did. But the rest is true. Jesus has loved you forever and forever He will love you.
What do you feel when you think of the love Jesus has for you and the unfailing promises He has made to you? Do you need to remind yourself of these things? Please let us pray for you if you are struggling to feel God’s love in your life. And remember that you are loved more than you will ever know.
Breakthrough 