OUR DAILY BREAD : AN OCEAN OF INK

[cimi]

March 4
Wednesday


AN OCEAN
OF INK

READ:
Ephesians 3:14-19
_____________________________________________

To know the love of
Christ which passes
knowledge.
__Ephesians 3:19
_____________________________________________

The words of the hymn "The Love of God" capture in word pictures the breathtaking magnitude of divine love:

```````````````````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.````````````

These marvelous lyrics echo paul's response to the love of God. The apostle prayed that believers might "be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge" (Eph. 3:18-19). In reflecting on these verses about God's love, some Bible scholars believe "width" refers to its worldwide embrace (John 3:16); "length," its existence through all ages (Eph. 3:21); "depth," its profound wisdom (Rom. 11:33); and "height," its victory over sin opening the way to heaven (Eph. 4:8).

We are admonished to appreciate this amazing love. Yet as we expand our awareness of God's love, we soon realize that its full measure is behond our understanding. Even if the ocean were filled with ink, uisng it to write about the love of God would drain it dry. __Dennis Fisher
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God's love cannot be explained
it can only be experienced

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Ephesians 3:14-19**********

14 For this reason I bow
my knees to the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 from whom the whole
family in heaven and earth
is named, 16 that He would
grant you, according to the
riches of His glory, to be
strengthened with might
through His spirit in the
inner man, 17 that Christ
may dwell in your hearts
through faith; that you,
being rooted, 18 may be able to
comprehend with all the
saints what is the width and
length and depth and
height-- 19 to know the love
of Christ which passes
knowledge; that you may be
filled with all the fullness of
God.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Today's Bible reading is part of one of Paul's great doxologies--
statements of worship toward our great God. This doxology is placed
strategically in the letter to the church at Ephesus, for it draws to a
close the first half of the letter, which is very theological in nature.
The second half of the letter tends to be more practical, applying
those doctrinal truths to everday living, including the relationships
that are such a significant part of life (Epoh. 5-6). Paul's words
offered a way to make truth live in every aspect of daily existence.
That is how we truly exult in the matchless love of Christ that Paul
honored in his doxology __Bill Crowder