I know that God loves me, because the Bible tells me so?

This morning my devotional focused on rejection and the unconditional love and acceptance of God. I have a hard time accepting, recognizing and believing the unconditional love of God. I know that God loves me, because the Bible tells me so. I know in my head that He loves me, but I have very rarely experienced the love of God go beyond my mind, into my heart and soul.

I am starting to really truly understand that it is of utmost important to experience and know God’s love in our hearts and soul, because it is His love that transforms us.

The Apostle Paul confirms this when He prayed “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:17-19.

Let\s take a deeper look at the phrase “to grasp”:

properly, take hold of exactly, with decisive initiative (eager self-interest); to grasp something in a forceful (firm) manner; (figuratively) to apprehend (comprehend), "making it one's own." - Helps Ministries, Inc.

attained (1), caught (2), comprehend (2), found (1), laid hold (2), lay hold (1), overtake (2), seizes (1), understand (1), understood (1), win (1). - NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries

to take eagerly, i.e. Seize, possess, etc. (literally or figuratively) -- apprehend, attain, come upon, comprehend, find, obtain, perceive, (over-)take. - Strong's Concordance

My prayer for myself and for you is that we will grasp (with decisive initiative, make our own, attain, comprehend, take up eagerly) how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, because to experience this love is more important than any knowledge, and so that we will be filled up to the top and overflow with God’s love! Amen

This is important. Please take the time to reflect on your own personal experience of God's love. We can memorize all the bible verses we want, we can attend Church every Sunday, we volunteer for every good deed, and we can learn Hebrew and Greek. Without grasping, experiencing, understanding God's love for us we are not living in the full and abundant life that He has for us ALL.

Holy Spirit please soften my heart

Please open my mind

Please clear my soul

For your perfect, unconditional, never ending, all consuming, all healing, fulfilling and satisfying LOVE! Amen.