We know that God is love (1 John 4:8), God is the source of love (1 John 4:7-12), and God chooses to direct His love to us (Ephesians 2:4-5). We know that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16. The Bible tells us that Jesus laid down His life for us—sinners like us—so that we can be forgiven our sins and have eternal life.
In thankful response to God’s love—sending His Son, Jesus, to the cross to take upon Himself our sin and the punishment that we deserve—we tell the Good News.
A wonderful hymn, The Love of God, written by Frederick Martin Lehman, reminds us of God’s muti-faceted love for us. It is rich, pure, measureless, strong, and will endure forevermore. Romans 8:35, 37-39 gives us a little more insight into God’s love.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? … 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Stanza 1
The love of God is greater far
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.
Here we confess that God’s love is greater than anything we can talk or write about. God gave proof of His love for us when Christ died for us so that our sins would be forgiven, and we would be reconciled to Him, even when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8)
Refrain
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.
In the refrain that we sing after each stanza, we retell the greatness, strength, and eternality of God’s love. We will never know or experience anything greater than the love of God.
Stanza 2
When hoary[1] 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.
This is a grim reminder that when our last days on earth arrive, anyone who has refused to pray to God and ask Him to forgive them is going to be in such distress that they will beg the mountains and hills to fall on and over them (Luke 23:30). In spite of that, God’s love will endure and can always be relied upon. God will continue saving sinful man because He is motivated by love. God’s love is powerful enough to redeem the entire human race.
Stanza 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.
The third stanza lyrics of this Jewish poem were found written on the wall of a patient’s room in an insane asylum after he was carried to his grave. Isn’t this a splendid expression of our inability to adequately describe the love of God? Nothing is greater than God’s love which is strong to save, strengthen, and endure forever.
Regardless of the situations we encounter in our lives, the love of God is greater and more powerful than any of them! Thank God for the ways His love gives you encouragement for today and for your future.
[1] Old age or years of time.
Image by Briam Cute from Pixabay
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