the love of God

"The love of God is greater far

1. Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
   It goes beyond the highest star,
   And reaches to the lowest hell;
   The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
   God gave His Son to win;
   His erring child He reconciled,
   And pardoned from his sin.
   • Refrain:
     Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
     How measureless and strong!
     It shall forevermore endure—
     The saints’ and angels’ song.
2. When hoary time shall pass away,
   And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
   When men who here refuse to pray,
   On rocks and hills and mountains call,
   God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
   All measureless and strong;
   Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
   The saints’ and angels’ song.
3. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
   And were the skies of parchment made,
   Were every stalk on earth a quill,
   And every man a scribe by trade;
   To write the love of God above
   Would drain the ocean dry;
   Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
   Though stretched from sky to sky."

"Verse 3 was penciled on the wall of a narrow room in an insane asylum by a man said to have been demented. The profound lines were discovered when they laid him in his coffin."

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in the last month, I have just felt overwhelmed by the Love of the Lord.  I realized over and over again, how the Lord's work of the cross in our lives, is really a work of His great love.  And in everything He's drawing us closer and closer to the center of Himself.  how glorious!  

...today I was thinking about our attempt at saving this world from poverty.... but if you go to Uganda, one of the poorest nations... you'll see some of the happiest people. In reality, we need to be saved from our wealth.   ... what we have backwards is that trials are bad.  that fires are to be fought with all our strength, and that we must do our best to avoid that which brings us to a place of discomfort.  

...but what if the fires burn away the dross?  What if it purifies the vessel? what if it brings this world out of complacency and darkness and brings us into the fullness of the love of God?                        

                           ...may we not despise the cross.  For it is our saving grace.  

not only Jesus' dying on the cross, but the cross working out in our lives is our daily salvation.  it saves us from ourselves, from the world, and brings us into the fullness of God that we were called to live in that Christ might be "all and in all".  

the world says there can't be a God because of all the suffering that they see... but look within the suffering and chaos... and you will find those who feel more loved than the most wealthy celebrity, and the most powerful politician.  In pain and darkness, we come to know the depths of the Father's love.  And how incredibly wonderful it is.  who would choose any other way?! this is the way of love, oh how blessed it is to walk in it!  Come rain or shine, my Father's love constrains me to answer His call.