And to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:19)
“ME DO IT!” My son Andrew was only three when he decided it was time to learn to pour milk into his glass by himself. I had a pretty good idea how this experiment was going to end, so I stood close by with a towel handy (though out of sight). Sure enough, he had a bit of trouble judging when to stop pouring and the milk flowed onto the table, over the edge, and onto the floor. Andrew was a master of the pout, and his little lower lip stuck out as he folded his arms across his chest. “Next time,” he said. I nodded, encouraged him to help me mop up the spill, and we tried again another day.
As messy as our lesson was, it brings to mind today’s verse. When I think of being “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God,” I imagine that glass unable to contain the volume of cold, satisfying milk, overflowing with abundance. The New Living Translation says when we experience the love of Christ, “Then [we] will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Receiving the Father’s love empowers us to live fully and completely as His children. For Paul, that meant becoming a “servant of this gospel” (v. 7). We, too, can serve the gospel by being spiritual conduits, allowing God’s power, grace, and love to flow freely through our lives and into the lives of others.
Take a drink from the living water of God’s Word today; then pass it on!
Mary McNeil Blackford is a full-time student and freelance editor. She and her husband, Rick, live in Erie, Pennsylvania, with their three dogs.