“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.“
Ephesians 3:14-19
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OCTOBER 14, 2024
In 1869, at the age of 35, John Wesley Powell, an adventurous one-armed Civil War hero and bored Illinois college teacher, led an expedition to one of the few remaining “blank spots” on the map of the United States: The Grand Canyon.
Three centuries earlier, soldiers with conquistador Francisco Coronado had peered over the edge of this canyon and deemed it impossible to cross. Since then, no one had tried.
Powell and his team decided to descend through the canyon on the Colorado River; with its several hundred rapids, a drop of 6,000 feet, and 278 miles long, no one thought the journey was possible.
Yet, with all of its dangers, Powell wrote of its beauty:
The Grand Canyon is a land of song. Mountains of music swell in the rivers, hills of music billow in the creeks, and meadows of music murmur in the rills that ripple over the rocks. Altogether it is a symphony of multitudinous melodies.
When the expeditions passage was completed, Powell had helped map a canyon one mile deep with ecosystems ranging from arid deserts to cold and wet mountain peaks. 500 species of animals can be found in its massive 1,904 square miles, and of its estimated 1,000 caves, still less than half have been explored!
When Paul prays that the Christians in Ephesus would come to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,” he is encouraging them to set out on an expedition to explore, to experience, to taste what he previously described as “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8)
Powell wrote of his journey:
“To truly know a river, a mountain, or a canyon, one must be willing to lose themselves in its embrace.”
John Wesley Powell
We too are to lose ourselves in the embrace of Christ’s love. The Grand Canyon is huge, but the limits of its borders have been mapped. Christ’s love has no limits!
As we launch into MissionsFest, we will hear of amazing journeys of faith taken by our church missionaries and global partners. In so doing, will you consider stepping deeper in your own personal expedition into the vastness of Christ’s love?
Questions for reflection and discussion:
- How do you experience the love of Christ?
- What have you done to explore this love?
- What have you risked in this journey? What have been the rewards?
Today’s devotional was written by Scott Young. He and his wife Nancy have been members of WBC for more than 35 years.
Church Reading Plan: Ezekiel 47; Psalm 103