How Cool Is That?

Read Ephesians 3:14-21

Context: Paul wrote to the Ephesians to expand their understanding of God and his purposes. This prayer comes in the center of the book -- Paul's second prayer for the Ephesians in this letter. Paul visited them twice -- once for a short time when he left Priscilla and Aquila (Corinthian tent makers) to teach the people, and a second time to teach them himself. He wrote the letter from prison.

Text:
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (NIV)

Footnotes:

Ephesians 3:15 Or whom all fatherhood
taken from www.biblegateway.com

There are many things that I don't understand about God -- the trinity, why people suffer, why evil often appears to triumph, and how he created such a fascinating world, just to name a few. But more than anything, it is hard for me to comprehend how He is able to love each one of us so much as separate individuals.

I struggle with the concept that Jesus died for me. I could see how he died for mankind, so that all have the chance to live in Heaven eternally because of the sacrifice he made, but it is harder for me to personalize that and to understand that he would have done this even if it only saved one person -- me (or you...). How can our God have so much love that he creates and knows each one of us before we are even a twinkle in our Daddy's eye? That he watches over us, protects us, and gives us all good things? That he knows exactly what I need today, even when I don't have a clue about that myself? That he would sacrifice his son so that I can be with him in eternity?

I'm glad this passage tells us that God's love surpasses knowledge. That means I can quit trying to understand and just accept it, resting in the fact that he loves me more than I can comprehend. Isn't that cool?