By Gail Rodgers
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, 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 maybe filled to the measure of all the fullness of God??? (Ephesians 3:17b-19).
~ Father in heaven,
What wonderful understanding Your word gives me. Today I ask that You would give me strength in my inner being. Sometimes I feel so fragile and weak. Those around me may not know or see but You do and You reach out to strengthen me from Your vast store of riches. Help me to remember that today I have the living Christ dwelling within me. Remind me that this is my Source today in all I need to face or do.
Lord God, help me today to grasp how very much You love me. Help me to see in fresh ways how I am grounded by that love and rooted in it as a sure anchor for my life. Help me to believe it! What a heritage we share with other believers… this wonder of Your equipping love in our lives. How we need to remind each other of this strengthening power that we have access to through Your Spirit.
Today when I am tempted to fall into thinking thoughts that drag me down, remind me of this rich love that You pour over and into my life. Remind me, by Your Spirit, that it is wider and longer and higher and deeper than I can ever imagine. Let me feel wrapped and encased in that love today. Help me to grasp this truth when I am tempted to despair over my own limited abilities and resources.
Father, thank You that growing in this understanding of the riches of Your love will fill me up with a fullness and a completeness that can come from nothing else. Set me on a journey today to reply on You in every detail of my life. Let me live in the fullness of Your love today like never before. I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus, amen.
Going Deeper
1. Consider these questions: How does one become “rooted and established in love???? How would you describe God’s love; can you think of a word picture that illustrates it? What does it mean to be “filled with the measure of all the fullness of God?”
2. Comment on the devotional blog. Interact with others who are reading today’s devotional. Visit http://talk.thelife.com/ and double click on “Comment” (just under the devotional title).
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4. Related reading: Love letters to God: http://www.christianwomentoday.com/prayer/loveletters.html
About the Author: This devotional was written by Gail Rodgers. Learn more about Gail: http://www.talk.thelife.com/authors/gail-rodgers/
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Thank you for this devotional that is speaking directly to my heart.
Dearest Father,
I pray for those of us who have heavy burdens this day, may the love of God so surround us that we remember who journeys with us. We release our burdens and needs to our real burden bearer and may the love of God accomplish all things in us today. Amen
This message is very comforting especailly now that the world is full of trouble. We need the word of God to remind us of the Love of the Father. Sometimes I thought out aloud and imagine how wonderful it will be to constantly tune ourselves to God and allow Him to assure us of His ever present love.
I am so glad. God bless you Gail, God bless Truthmedia.
Please pray for God’s wisdom and open doors for me as I prepare to buy a house. Also pray for God’s direction.
Regards
Rhoda
Nigeria
Just what I needed today!
It is unimaginable the kind of love that Christ has for us. I am SO thankful that no matter what happens in the world- God loves me. I am not a failure in his eyes, and no matter how many times Satan tries to get me to see that I am a loser- God loves me more than that and convinces me that I have accomplished so many wonderful things in his name and that I am worthwhile. I praise you Jesus for your beauty, grace, and love. Help me to love others as you have loved me.
Amen
On the day I was ready to pack up my bible and all inspirational reading as I feel very forgotten, and failed at trying to find a church that is open and accepting I read Gail Rogers “You Are Loved”. Thank you for your insight, Gail and the other readers who wrote comments. Gail, God has blessed you and we all are thankful that you are openly willing to share your blessings with us.
In reading today’s message I know that what ever I’m going through that GOD’s love will see me through it. I know that GOD loves me and if I keep my feet planted in his word and trust in him I know that all things are possible. May the love of GOD bless each and every one of you.
Have a bless and highly favored day.
I have been thinking a lot about God’s love, and especially wondering why we have difficulty receiving it. My favorite verse is in Jude 1:21 “Keep yourselves where God can love you.” (paraphrased)I think many times we just don’t think we are worthy, and in our own selves we cannot make ourselves worthy, but he loves us just as he loves his Son.
God , how wonderful You are to love an imperfect human being as I . To fanthom how deep , wide and the height I can never comprehend .I am amazed , I am speechless in the way that You look at me …goes the song . You give the hope , strength and the faith to carry on each day for your love is really unconditional towards your created beings . Be glorified Oh God !!!!!
Good Morning!
WOW! What a wonderful devotional this morning. This is my 2nd attempt at sharing my response. I neglected to fill in my personal information the 1st try.
Going Deeper
1. Consider these questions: How does one become “rooted and established in love???? How would you describe God’s love; can you think of a word picture that illustrates it? What does it mean to be “filled with the measure of all the fullness of God????
We become rooted and established in love by reading and believing God’s word, the BIBLE!
My one word picture that illustrates God’s love would be the OCEAN because it is big and wide and FULL!
To be filled with the measure of all the fullness of God is sheer JOY and HAPPINESS by total surrender.
It’s always therapeutic leaving a reply. Thank you and God Bless you for allowing me to share. May we all continue to share his healing LOVE, in Jesus name I pray. Amen. Patsy
Hi ladies,
This morning the following verse came to mind: “Perfect love casts out fear.” What is perfect love? Love, I understand, but perfect love?
I need insight!
Thanks,
Charlene
This is an awesome devotional today. Just what I needed. I forget to include God in every detail of my life. I find it hard to believe how unconditionally I am loved, not just choosen, but approved bu God. I know God love is beyond my comprehension. The word picture that comes to mind that describe God’s love to me is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I see the cross and I know that is love. We love him, because he first loved us. {1 John 4:19} “But God is rich in mercy, even when we were dead in sins {By grace we are saved}Ephesuans 2:4-7 I think if we delight ourselves also in the Lord; and he shall give us the desires of our heart {Psalm 37:4}. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your unconditional love for me, thank you that I am blessed and cannot be cursed, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering {for he is faithful that promised}.Blessings to all.
Perfect Love…. Is it the kind we never have to fear losing because we are loved exactly as we are, or ever will be?
Thank you for sharing your hearts here in this blog. It always warms my heart to see how God connects us to one another as we grow.
Perfect love…. Ev, you said it well, love that has no fear because it accepts us exactly as we are.
That kind of love is only God’s love. 1 John 4:8 says “God is love” so the follow through thought would be that God is perfect love. When He comes into our lives He alone offers us the strength and power, through His Spirit, to live beyond fear of all kinds.
His hope casts out fear of tomorrow.
His peace casts out fear of being overwhelmed in the storms of life.
His mercy casts out fear of unforgiveness.
God is perfect Love …. the Source of help we have as we face our fears.
Blessings on each of you today.
Warmly,
Gail
I am so thankful for this message today. This is going to sound crazy but I came home to a messy house after dropping 2 of my kids off at school with 1 infant and a 3 year old at home with me super overwhelmed. I was feeling as if I was a horrible mom because I yelled at my kids this morning. A horrible wife because my husband can’t come home to a clean house. I realized that God loves me no matter how messy my house is and that God’s love gives me the strength and fullness that I need to be the loving, caring, supportive, and also the disciplinary of the household mom that I need to be for my kids. Thank you Jesus for loving me for who I am and through you I am able to give my family unconditional love because I know that you love me unconditionally. Thank you for my life and everything that you supply for my family and me.
Sincerely
Christie Gonzales
i’ve just finished reading a book with a phrase that says ‘beauty for ashes’…i don’t know who to contribute the quote to,,,but in lieu of today’s devotional,,i believe God’s love for us is His caring(love)(beauty) for our ashes,(troubles,trials,etc).Be blessed
dee
dee– your comment about beauty for ashes reminded me of Isaiah 61:1-3:
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners, [a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
Indeed, this is what we need in our everyday life to remind us how wonderful, beautiful, wide, long, and deep is the love of Christ in us. Praise His name forever! Even when we’re sometimes unfaithful He is always ready to accept us with His love. Yes, we pray that we will be rooted in love and so we can shine for him everyday.
Gail, we are blessed through your sharing. May God continue to pour more wisdom and knowledge to you and your family. God bless.
This message and prayer comes so timely for me! God certainly knows when and how to fill us up when we are down. Working in the corporate world, dealing with all the politics and complicated human relations have never been easy. Many times, I felt so inadequate in my knowledge and wisdom to fulfil all that I need to do as an employee, a mother, a daughter and a helper at home. But indeed God is our strength and our portion, James 1:5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Surely God will supply us with His wisdom to do the tasks and calling which He has given to us.
Thank you once again for this wonderful message!
yea it is very true,at times we are so down in our shortcommings and limitations, which of couse no one but God can see ,that we find it difficult to relate well with GOD.
But i thank God for this message this morning, it has lifted me up and i believe its done the same for others as well
i pray he gives us the strength to live for him and be gratefullto him for a love that is beyond mearsure. Amen