A couple of things, then I move into my thoughts for this Sunday’s message:
So apparently, ear candling isn’t necessarily as effective as people claim to clear out ear wax – there are testimonies to it being relaxing or soothing, and I’m imagining this is because of the smoke that flows down the candle from the flame. The ‘wax’ people see when they open what wasn’t burned is from the candle and not from our ears.
Now that was pretty hard to swallow but I guess I’m glad I looked it up before I made an order. Thanks, YouTube.
I guess it’s still worth a try but I shouldn’t be convincing myself that I will be getting extraordinary results.
No sense forcing what we expect out of something that cannot deliver.
Also apparently, the equipment that I ordered for the optimization of my business will not arrive for another week or two. I asked for an update and was given this information; as I was processing their response I was reminded that I wasn’t actually just ordering bits and pieces that I would be putting together, but there was some setting up on the merchant’s end which would actually take some time. A slightly humbling experience, but certainly one that would leave me a good lesson on situational assessment and all that.
No sense rushing what we expect out of something if quality is compromised.
In preparation for this Sunday’s message, I had the Bible line on ‘how deep, how wide, how long, how high’ God’s love is, on my mind.
When I sat down to read and reflect this evening, I clarified that the actual set of verses could be found in Ephesians 3:14-19:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Before I go any further I would like to remind everyone of where we’ve been so far. We’ve proclaimed 2022 would be an overwhelming year, and we would indeed be overwhelmed by no less than the Love of God.
In our being overwhelmed I am pushing the narrative that it would allow us to overflow, and we would communicate said love – rather, the world would see the love of God through us now merely through our words but by all that we do, down to the breaths we take and every beat of our heart – this overwhelming love God has for us, is a practical love.
This love is practical in the sense that it is not merely explained, but more effective when experienced. But as we began our recordings, we also took the opportunity to explain how God’s love for us is practical in that it is absolutely necessary not only for our own survival, but for the preservation and growth of our being, as individuals and as members of the body of Christ. It is God’s love that is more essential than anything else, especially considering that we are in such a unique reality right now.
Last week, we spoke on how God’s love for us is practical in that it is personal. Simply put, God knew all there was to know about us, and all that can possibly happen to us and from us, before the creation of time and space. God knew this, and we saw in the Word that in spite of all He would know about us, He loved us first.
Amazing, how He loved us first, even before the concept of first and last was ever even created.
God’s love for us is personal is practical. It is not general, not one size fits all – it’s like Christ took each and every one of us into consideration, down to the deepest secrets of our souls, and still decided for one, and for all, that we were still very much worth dying and living for. With that said, we would also get to know other people for who they are, and also, as Christ loved us, love them too, taking the extra step of actually being interested in them and all that they enjoy.
Now, as I was going through this set of verses, I noticed that it wasn’t just an exhortation of the vastness of God’s love – In fact, I thought that’s all I would zero in on for Sunday – but I just couldn’t help but include the context contained in the verses before and after the actual statement.
Paul was praying – He bowed his knees for his brothers and sisters in Ephesians, and in these verses he proclaimed the following:
- that according to the riches of his glory (God) may grant (them) to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in (their) inner being,
- so that Christ may dwell in (their) hearts through faith.
- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
- that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
I’m puzzled now, as I write about this – We would usually stumble upon verses that would declare strength for the tough times, and power for the moments that would challenge our bodies and our minds… but in this particular case, Paul was praying that the Ephesians would be strengthened with power, to comprehend the love of Christ, and to be filled with all the fullness of God.
To be honest, I didn’t really expect that. But I suppose I’m slowly learning how it makes sense.
We need to be strong to contain more water.
Why should I work out? I already know God loves me even when I’m weak…
Friends, you work out to be stronger, and you need to be stronger to be of greater capacity to comprehend the love of God deeper and deeper.. You work out to take in the fullness of God.
Does that make any sense? I’ve shut off the need for me to give further elaboration to truly let everything out, and to let things flow more naturally… but that’s what I’ve been directed to as I type all this. It’s not for us to merely increase our containing capacity, but we ought to be continually strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit – and not necessarily with physical power, but holistic power throughout all of our being – because, sure as we are moving from glory to glory, we are continually being filled, day by day, with the fullness of God.
Gosh, I said I was going to be talking about the practical aspect of God’s love for us but I didn’t expect to be spiritualizing things and sounding all mystical and all that.
God forgive me, I don’t want to sound this way!
Perhaps I need this strength, I need this power, that I could explain it better, for others to get it!
I guess the goal here is for all of us to keep trusting in our Creator. He knows each and every one of us, and He certainly knows the best way to love us all individually. Consequently, we’re learning through this passage that He loves each and every one of us to strengthen us by the power of His Holy Spirit, to further comprehend this love.
I recently sent a video to some friends – a couple migrating to another country, I was telling them that I would give anything to go through the adventures of travel and living abroad for the first time, again… And I only mention this because that’s apparently the adventure we all have in Christ – to further comprehend the love that He has for each and every one of us… and not only does He bring us to and through this adventure, but He gives us all that we need, by way of strength, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I’ve had that unconscious question for the longest time – if I know God loves me, then what else is life in this reality for?
I suppose I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that we are still in this life, not only to experience God’s love and its superiority over this fallen reality, but also to receive more and more strength, that our experiences would be greater and deeper, with every and every day we live in this world.
Does that make any sense? I guess it’s better than just limiting God’s love by way of saying it’s ‘unlimited’ and leaving it at that. Apparently, the more we know it, the more we grasp it, the more strength we will need – and that’s why we’re still here.
I’d like to leave it here for now, and let things marinate a little.
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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