THE FULL DEPTH OF A WORD

“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)

My whole career has been centered around working with students and teenagers. As you can imagine, the word “love” gets used often and, in most cases, without any depth to the word. However, with God the power and depth of the word is on full display here in Zephaniah chapter 3!

The famous preacher, Charles Spurgeon, said, “But God’s love is no flickering flame. It does not flare up for a little while, like the crackling of thorns under a pot, and then die out in darkness…It diminishes not, but it grows from strength to strength, till what seemed at first to be but a single spark, becomes a mighty flame-and what was a flame becomes like the beacon lights of war, and what was but as a beacon becomes as the sun itself, in the fierceness of its heat and in the majesty of its goings.”

The depth of the love of God is thankfully no small or shallow thing (Ps. 136:26, Eph. 2;4-5)! Throughout the Bible we find verse after verse describing God’s love for His people and how faithful He is in His love.

In a relatively new hymn, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”, Stuart Townend eloquently describes God’s love:
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

How amazing it is that after thousands of years (and many more books, sermons, and blog posts) we can still discover new depths to God’s love for us as He brings us ever closer to glory with Him.

Further Study
•1 John 3:1•Romans 8:37-39•Psalm 86:15