We read in Ephesians chapter 3 how the Apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus: “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may 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; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19, NKJV).
The Amplified Classic version states verse 19 like this: “[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]”.
Paul prayed that they would come to know the love of Christ, yet the people he prayed for were believers. Did they not know the love of Christ? We learn from this passage that it’s possible to have only a “head knowledge” of God’s love, and that is quite different than knowing His love towards us through experience.
Several months ago, I had the opportunity to take care of our 2-year-old grandson, Brady. At birth, Brady’s pancreas produced too much insulin that caused his blood sugars to be chronically low. At one month old, a large portion of his pancreas was removed to stabilize his body. Since the surgery, Brady is thriving and is a living testimony of God’s healing power working in his body. As Brady is walking out his healing, his blood sugar levels are monitored continuously. If his blood sugar gets low, an alarm will sound on his glucose monitor.
One night, I put Brady to bed and went to sleep myself. A little while later, his blood sugar dropped. I slept through the first alarm and awoke to the second alarm. He was very low now. Frantically, I ran to the kitchen for a teaspoon of honey (a quick way to deliver sugars to his body). When I returned to his bedside, he was sitting up with the most peaceful look on his face, and his eyes seemed to go right through me. It was as if Brady silently said, “Lolli, you don’t have to be afraid”. You could see his spirit was at rest with a childlike trust in the One who made him. At that moment I heard the Lord say, “Linda, I care for Brady affectionately and watchfully, just as I do you”. It was a moment where God’s love penetrated so profoundly that I was emotionally overwhelmed. All feelings of disappointment in myself for missing his alarm faded away.
This is not the first time I have experienced this revelation love from God, but it is a recent reminder of how overwhelming His love for us is. God wants us to have more than just an intellectual understanding of His love. When you come to know through experience the love He has for you, it will change your life. You will live without fear when you know how much God cares about you. Certainly, with Brady, we do everything we know to do concerning his blood sugars; this is a duty we take very seriously when his parents entrust him in our care. However, because of God’s great love for Brady, we know that as we steward him, God more than makes up the difference when situations arise. Psalm 121:3 tells us that, “He who keeps you will not slumber” (NKJV). The God of the Universe holds Brady in his sleep and stirred me awake to take care of his needs.
Knowing the love of Christ that passes mere “head knowledge” will create rest in you. God wants you to be secure in His love.
If we understood God’s love, then perhaps we wouldn’t question so many things — like whether God will meet our needs, or where the answer to our prayer is. People who “struggle” to receive answers to their prayers may say, "I just need more faith!” Yes, it’s good to strengthen your faith, but the foundation for faith is knowing how much God loves you. How could we believe God for anything if we aren’t secure in His love for us? Would we even have the confidence to ask? Trusting God will not be difficult when you have experienced God’s love.
As you spend time meditating on His love, you'll see in tangible ways how His love has poured out to you every single day. God loves you!
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