god's love — Blog — Tabitha Deller

I’ve had a head and heart FULL of thoughts and feelings about the FULLNESS of God.

The word fullness implies being filled to capacity, and when referring to the fullness of God, it includes every aspect of who He is in all His Glory.

His love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, truth, and sovereignty are all far beyond our capacity because they are greater than anything we can ask, imagine, or fathom.

A few days ago I was out shopping for luggage with my son as he prepares to study abroad. When planning and packing, he has to keep in mind the airline restrictions when it comes to his checked and carry on bag dimensions. He can’t go over capacity in length, height, width, or weight, or it’ll cost him.

But that’s not how it works with the fullness of God. There are no restrictions, limitations, or stipulations.

His love is unconditional and everlasting.

His mercy dives to the deepest depth.

His grace reaches to the highest height.

His forgiveness spans the greatest expanse.

His truth is the standard for all credibility.

His sovereignty oversees all authority.

And the fullness of God can never be depleted or defeated. It never runs out, even though it is forever spilling out and filling us.

When we are full of Him, there’s no room for the things that keep us from Him, so when this crazy world we live in, bumps us again and again, His fullness spills out of us and onto others.

The fullness of God — with our head, we will never fully comprehend it, but with our heart, we can fully experience it.

A Holy Dichotomy?

2/14/24 = Ash Wednesday + Valentine’s Day

Juxtaposition or placing our heart in just the right position?

Two apparently different observances falling on the same day, but more apparent is what they both have to say about the only true love we will ever know — the love of God the Father through Jesus Christ His Son.

And oh how this world desperately needs this love…

The holiest of juxtapositions for sure. The Bible is full of seemingly contradictory concepts, and yet, when we take time to “ponder anew what the Almighty can do,” the dichotomies we see just communicate His great love a little more clearly.

God’s GREAT love for us is just that — it is the GREATest of the loves that we will ever know.

It is a love that cannot be fully realized until we truly realize our GREAT need for this GREAT love.

In my opinion, the dichotomy surrounding love and lent is even more beautiful when the two are blended together.

Strength made perfect and weakness.

Fullness felt only after emptiness is indwelt.

The bondage of sin leading to freedom in Him.

Apparently, you can’t spell vaLENTine without LENT.

True love is experienced only in a relationship with Truth and Love Himself.

“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬, ‭NLT‬‬)

“God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 John 4:16, NLT)

{And as I just looked up these two verses, the similarities jumped out at me — John and 1 John, 14:6 and 4:16 — transposed numbers highlighting these holy juxtapositions}

Ash Wednesday reminding us as God reminded Adam: “for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬b, ‭ESV‬‬)

We are but dust. Our Creator formed us, and He alone can fill us. And when we go straight to the source to receive love, forgiveness, acceptance, grace, mercy, and truth, those are the things we can then give to others.

Valentine’s Day reminding us that Saint Valentine gave his life trying to keep love alive by marrying soldiers in secret since a Roman decree forbade it.

To love others well, we must dwell in Love.

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬, ‭NLT‬‬)

“Man approaches God most nearly when he is in one sense least like God. For what can be more unlike than fullness and need, sovereignty and humility, righteousness and penitence, limitless power and a cry for help?” (C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves)

A Holy Dichotomy for sure.