What Love is this that chose a frail, lost sinner –
Long before the earth would know to speak her name?

What Love is this that offered up His life blood –
To be the sacrifice for the wrath that was hers by right?

What Love? What Love?

What Love is this that picked among the least –
Now spotless and redeemed to be His beloved child?

What Love is this that guarded and protected –
When that child fought what the Father had deemed His best?

What Love? What Love?

What Love is this that set the gears in motion –
So that His chosen could only seek His face?

What Love is this that waited patiently –
Until it seemed all hope was lost?

What Love? What Love?

What Love is this that works oft’ times in the shadows –
In the darkness where no light can seem to shine?

What Love is this that brings into His Light –
The sorrows darkness likes to hide?

What Love? What Love?

What Love is this that enlightens darkened eyes –
And restores the wicked heart to God?

What Love is this that can abide no sin –
Yet in temptation, offers freedom and escape?

What Love? What Love?

What Love is this that will not let me go –
Yet will not allow me to remain the same?

What Love is this that fills the soul with such peace –
Even as the storms may threaten the weary soul?

What Love? What Love?

What Love enables the heart to trust –
Although the way ahead may seem unclear?

What Love is this that draws us closer to Him –
Until the day we’ll see Him face to face?

What Love is this?

A poet I am clearly not, but sometimes the thoughts that race around my brain beg to be hastily written in poorly constructed verse. Such was the case yesterday. I am overwhelmed by the depth of God’s love and how He often works in such mysterious and hidden ways to orchestrate and conduct His will and plan in the world around me. When I contemplate these matters, I am saddened by my own tendencies to mistrust Him and doubt His sovereign work in my life and in the lives of my children. To be loved by such a God requires the Christian to hand over control and to, instead, pick up our cross and follow Him. We often speak these words lightly, but if we can grasp the reality of Who God is and what He has called us out of and into, we might better understand the verse that instructs us to ‘Work out our salvation with fear and trembling.’ (Phil. 2:12)

As I woke this morning still ruminating on these thoughts, the timeless words from the hymn, ‘The Love of God’ (written by Fredrick Lehman ~ 1868-1953), came to mind and I will share them here in closing.

The love of God is greater far
than tongue or pen can ever tell;
it goes beyond the highest star,
and reaches to the lowest hell.
The wand’ring child is reconciled
by God’s beloved Son.
The aching soul again made whole,
and priceless pardon won.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
and were the skies of parchment made;
were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill,
and ev’ryone a scribe by trade;
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
though stretched from sky to sky. 

Refrain:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
the saints’ and angels’ song.

What Love is this? It is the incomprehensible love of a holy and just God. A love that rescues from the pit of darkness, redeems from an eternity of suffering, restores fellowship with Himself, transforms the object of His affection into the image of His Son, and promises eternity in heaven with Him forever.

What Love, indeed!