I was struck the other day by a powerful passage of scripture that was highlighted in my devotional. Ephesians 3:19 “To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge: that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

I grew up in a pretty works driven denomination. Now don’t get me wrong, I carry some beautiful things with me from my heritage as well. I learned the power of fasting. I treasure the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But there was an underlying teaching that led me to believe that in order to experience all
that God had, his “fullness” if you will, that I had to be a doer. Pray hard, fast hard…those kinds of things.

But the revelation through my devotional led me to focus on the first part of this scripture. “To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge;” That was when I realized, it is knowing his love, the kind of love that in the natural makes absolutely no logical sense, that is what brings us into the fullness of God. And when I grasped that revelation I knew that is the school God has had me in for the last four years.

The way he loved me after my divorce, was intimate, detailed, specific to
how he designed me. I’ve often said, “if I could get people to know anything about Jesus it would be how detailed he loves.” And apparently it is knowing that kind of love that brings us into the fullness of all that God has for us.

You know how I think you learn this? By being “pushed” if you will into a season where you can’t do anything. Where you can’t pull yourself out of bed, let alone pray. Where you don’t even have an appetite. Not because you’re fasting, but because your heart is breaking. And in that desperate place, if we are willing to look for it, we can encounter the breathtaking, detailed love of our father.

Philly and I were recounting the other day the story of the church we got married in. After my divorce every time I would drive by the quaint Owens Chapel on Franklin road I would tell my father, “Lord, if you ever privilege me to remarry, may I get married there?” I said this every trip I took past that little church. When we finally set a date, a date determined by children’s spring break schedule, I was only two months from my date. When I called sweet Ms. Bennett who schedules the weddings for the church I asked her if April 10th was available. She said, “Well, baby girl it is. But if you would have called for the week before or the week after you would be out of luck. In fact, I had 10 different brides call for April 17th.”

“You can’t be serious. I can’t believe it.” Was my response.

“It’s meant to be baby. It’s meant to be.”

That was just one tiny way my Father loved me. And these last four years I have come into a fullness of Him like I have never known. And I had know idea, until clearly understanding this scripture that it was all connected with my revelation of His love.

Are you working yourself to death trying to grasp a fullness of your Father? Frustrating yourself thinking you’re not “doing” enough? You will never do enough. How about instead of “doing” you begin to ask Him to allow you to see all the ways he deeply and detailingly (so not a word, but all that works) loves you. He does you know. Down to your last detail. In ways that is past knowledge. So far past your ability to comprehend. That is how he loves you. May you encounter, that detailed love, so that you can walk into the fullness of God. Oh my…what there is awaiting you…