“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” John 15:9
Lord Jesus, this one verse carries an affirmation and a command that, quite literally, change everything. That you love us as much as our heavenly Father loves you is simultaneously breathtaking and lifegiving. Abiding in your love is the only way we will overcome our suspicion that you’re exaggerating.
Help us, Lord. Free us. We crave what you want for us—a greater grasp of the “length and width, height and depth” of your love (Eph. 3:18). Take everything written about your love in the Scriptures and pour it afresh into our hearts (Romans 5:5).
We want your love to be our permanent abode and our vacation home—the sanctuary where we worship, the place we run when we’re afraid, the dancefloor where we express our joy. Even more so, Jesus, we want your love to be the air we breathe, our bread and banquet, the sheets between we sleep, the musical score by which we live, the size of our dreams and the reason we hope.
As we grow in your love, our understanding of the limits of human love will mature, and our expectations of people will be adjusted to a healthy size. No one can be to us and for us who you are, Jesus. The gifts of human love, connection, and intimacy are precious gifts from you to us. But they are pointers to you, not the point of life. Only your love is better than life, Jesus. Only you are enough. Hallelujah, and So Very Amen.