Deeper Than the Holler

 "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power...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

    While listening to music the other day at work, Randy Travis' signature drawl was singing, "Deeper Than the Holler." Though the lyrics are meant to illustrate a man's limitless love for his lady, personally it portrayed Jesus' love for me:

My love is deeper than the holler, stronger than the river,

Higher than the pine trees growin' tall up on the hill.

My love is purer than the snowflakes that fall in late December,

And honest as a robin on a springtime windowsill,

And longer than the song of a whippoorwill.

        It's easy to see the parallel between the chorus and the verses above, drawn from Paul's letter to the Ephesians. As I meditated on this, I drew a horizontal arrow in my journal, pointing to the left, labeling it "wide." Next, a vertical line along the left side with a downward arrow marking "deep." On the opposite end, another vertical arrow, pointing up to demonstrate how high is this love of Christ. The diagram was finished by a lower horizontal arrow, pointing to the left, to indicate "long." 

    How much does Jesus love us? Just go outside and walk the lines of the diagram. Begin walking to the east. Keep going until east meets west. Or, if you're tired of walking in that direction, follow that arrow to the north up, up, up where the air is clear, through the stratosphere! Is there a ceiling? If your feet could carry you, head to the south until your circular route brings you all the way 'round till you're back where you began. 

    Do you get the picture? The love of Christ is all-encompassing. Long ago, before the foundation of the world, He set out to love us. Widely, He stretched out his arms and sacrificed himself while we were still sinners. Deeply, He descended to the depths to declare the debt had been paid; death had been swallowed up in victory! He then ascended to the heavenly realms, where He sits at the right hand of the Father, until He returns to judge both the living and the dead. 

    Upon receipt of such a Valentine, what is the only acceptable response? To love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind and all my strength to the ends of the earth and back!

    "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. But from everlasting to everlasting, the Lord's love is with those who fear Him." Psalm 103: 11, 12, 17

    "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 38, 39