It is certain that of all those present at the meal, the one who most honors the Lord is Mary Magdalene, who is so persuaded of the infinite mercy of God that all her sins appear to her as but an atom in the presence of this mercy.
~ Claude de la Columbiere
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
~ from Ephesians 2
Oh beloved, it is true. We do indeed think too much of ourselves and our sins. Though most surely, our sins have eternal and cosmic consequences. And the sins of some have caused enormous damage. Even further, the sin of Adam has spread death to all men, for we are in him.
But G_d.
Now, just as surely as our sin is a big deal, G_d enters with something even bigger. So much bigger, that even hyperbolic superlatives just fall short. Nothing can comprehend the true meaning and enormity of His great Love. Gargantuan terms like “rich in mercy,” and “immeasurable riches of His grace” strain to even begin to describe who He is, and just what He has already done for us – and in us – and through us.
And so, maybe it is easier for us men who have made such a huge mess of our lives to embrace and begin to understand just how huge His Love is towards us. There was nothing that could:
fix the problems we had created.
heal the pain we felt.
fill the emptiness in our lives.
change the path we were on.
bring wholeness to the people we had hurt.
or set us free from the bondage we were in.
And He came in to us. And in some infinitely powerful stroke of the most gentle Hand we had ever experienced, the problems that once overwhelmed us suddenly seemed really small. Oh yes, they were still there. But now they were in perspective, and we could see them through the Eyes which laugh at the impossible, and simply overcome it with immeasurable goodness, mercy, grace and Love.
Can we see it? We have to see Him for who He really is to put our problems and our sin in their proper light. G_d is really big. He is really strong. He is REALLY Loving. And He really cares about our problems more than we do – and He is much more able to take care of them. The Love with which He Loves us has no end, for He simply gives us Himself. And the strength He provides does not wane, for the infinite never fails.
Perhaps you are one who thinks your “stuff” or “situation” or “failures” are too big for G_d to handle? Then perhaps today is the day you abandon this illusion and let Him wash it all away into the boundless oceans of His mercy and grace.
Anyone for a swim? Dive in beloved. The Water is wonderful!
Oh beloved, it is true. We do indeed think too much of ourselves and our sins. Though most surely, our sins have eternal and cosmic consequences. And the sins of some have caused enormous damage. Even further, the sin of Adam has spread death to all men, for we are in him.
But G_d.
Now, just as surely as our sin is a big deal, G_d enters with something even bigger. So much bigger, that even hyperbolic superlatives just fall short. Nothing can comprehend the true meaning and enormity of His great Love. Gargantuan terms like “rich in mercy,” and “immeasurable riches of His grace” strain to even begin to describe who He is, and just what He has already done for us – and in us – and through us.
And so, maybe it is easier for us men who have made such a huge mess of our lives to embrace and begin to understand just how huge His Love is towards us. There was nothing that could:
fix the problems we had created.
heal the pain we felt.
fill the emptiness in our lives.
change the path we were on.
bring wholeness to the people we had hurt.
or set us free from the bondage we were in.
And He came in to us. And in some infinitely powerful stroke of the most gentle Hand we had ever experienced, the problems that once overwhelmed us suddenly seemed really small. Oh yes, they were still there. But now they were in perspective, and we could see them through the Eyes which laugh at the impossible, and simply overcome it with immeasurable goodness, mercy, grace and Love.
Can we see it? We have to see Him for who He really is to put our problems and our sin in their proper light. G_d is really big. He is really strong. He is REALLY Loving. And He really cares about our problems more than we do – and He is much more able to take care of them. The Love with which He Loves us has no end, for He simply gives us Himself. And the strength He provides does not wane, for the infinite never fails.
Perhaps you are one who thinks your “stuff” or “situation” or “failures” are too big for G_d to handle? Then perhaps today is the day you abandon this illusion and let Him wash it all away into the boundless oceans of His mercy and grace.
Anyone for a swim? Dive in beloved. The Water is wonderful!
The cross is a confrontation with the overwhelming goodness of God revealed in the broken body of His only begotten Son. Our personal encounter, not simply the intellectual cognition, but the experiential awareness of the love of Jesus Christ, propels us to trust.
~ Brennan Manning
