C A R L B. G A R N E R

A LOVE BEYOND DESCRIPTION

Man has sought to describe and explain God's love for centuries. It can't be done, however, for man's capacity for understanding is limited.

Poets, drawing on their experience, have tried to put words together in such a way as to conceptualize that love, but to no avail. Usually it is concluded that man cannot truly comprehend the scope of God's love. The "ways" of God are said to be "past finding out," Romans 11:33. We can know of His love, but to comprehend its limits and its beauty may be beyond our limited capacity to grasp.

One writer said it this way:
We can only see a little of the ocean, a few miles distant from the shore; But out there, beyond our eye's horizons; there's more; there's more. We can see a little of God's loving; a few rich treasures from His mighty store; But out there, beyond our eye's horizon, there's more; there's more.

The Bible speaks often of God's love (Romans 5:6-8; John 3:16; Jeremiah 31:3), and even says that "God is love," 1 John 4:7-9.

Another poet wrote the following:

Could we with ink the ocean fill;
Were the whole sky of parchment made;
Were every blade of grass a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God to man,
Would drain the ocean dry, Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

As we count our blessings this week, we dare not forget that all result from God's love, mercy and grace. There can be no greater blessing than this, for all other joys of being a child of God eventuate from His all-encompassing love. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God," 1 John 3:1. And if our vision were better, we could see that there's more. So much more.