"Fathomless love"

Two of my most constant reminders that I am loved by God.

Recently I have wrestled frequently with questioning God about situations, circumstances and His overall Sovereign orchestration of my life and even the lives of others. It may partly be a by-product of my life circumstances and experiences right now, but regardless of why I have struggled to believe that God is good and loves me, I have struggled. There have been nights where I have cried out to God in anger, in frustration, and then other times in pure desperation that He would prove to me that He is good and that He does love me. The problem was that many times the condition for belief was that He answer my prayers on my terms.

I struggled with commands like: "Rejoice always" and "In everything give thanks". I knew there had to be a way to do that, but I could not comprehend how I could thank God for a friend's pain caused by someone's sin. How did I rejoice when another friend miscarried for the third time in a row? How could I give thanks for the offense a spiritual authority caused to a teenager trying to do the right thing? For the first time in my life I was wrestling with issues that made me understand why people struggle with believing that God is good. I was there.

Then, I was confronted with Psalm 136. The Psalm portrays God's Sovereign ochestration of every event in Israel's history and each verse concludes with the phrase: "For his steadfast love endures forever". Each action of God is based on His love, is a demonstration of His love.
The first thing I realized was that even though I didn't understand it I had to believe ( and many times beg God to help me believe) that every thing He did was a demonstration of His love.

Psalm 136 concludes with the verse: " Give thanks to the Lord for his steadfast love endures forever." That was the conlusion my heart longed for. How do I give thanks in everything? How do I rejoice always? I thank God for his love; for the truth that His love is the basis of every thing He ordains.

So, last night as I thought about these truths I began to make a mental list of the ways God has shown me His love.
I want to share a few of those with you.
1) My husband and the story of how God brought our lives together is an amazing testimony of God's love and goodness to me.
2) The birth and gift of my son, Jake, is a constant reminder of the greatness of God in our smallness; of the grace that He gives in every circumstance.
3) The undeserved friends and family God has blessed me with.
4) My health, mental ability (I know some of you may be laughing at this one - I'm not claiming brilliance, just realizing that I clould have brain damage, dementia (think I may have a little already), or some other mentally disabling condition, and I don't.) , and resources are all a direct result of God's provision for me.
5) Finally, and really foremost is the gift of my salvation. How great the love of God, how completely uncomprehendable that he would love a sinner!

The point is this: The next time you find yourself wanting to question God, or even questioning God and His love and goodness to You, remember Calvary. See Christ leaving Heaven's glory in exchange for this world FOR YOU! See Christ living a sinless life FOR YOU. See Him hanging on a cross FOR YOU! See Him taking YOUR SIN. See Him being raised to life again FOR YOU!
This love of God is greater than any circumstance. It is the very foundation upon which our lives are designed. This love of God is the ink in the pen with which God writes the story of our lives.
It is indescribable and truly amazing!

The words of this song express it so accurately.

Fathomless Love
by Steve and Vickie Cook


"Lord, what moved your heart to love lowly man before any star could herald your praise and why did you come abasing yourself veiled in a robe of frail human clay?
Why would You, the pure, give your life for the vile; the Innocent seeking the guilty to be reconciled?

I can't comprehend this fathomless love; I'm gripped and amazed at what You have done.
Why would the Adored become the despised to bear all the furious wrath that was mine?
How awesome this mystery of your fathomless love for me!

Why would you adopt and take as your own those who would crush your one precious Son?
Why mercy and grace towards your enemies? Your name they had cursed and Your throne they had scorned.
Lord, how could you choose to show kindness to these, the ones who would mock you and hate you - the ones just like me?

I can't comprehend this fathomless love; I'm gripped and amazed at what You have done.
Why would the Adored become the despised to bear all the furious wrath that was mine?
How awesome this mystery of your fathomless love for me!"