Along the Way

How Deep is Christ's Love?

"Christians have sometimes their sinking fits, and are as if they are always descending. . . Now guilt is a heavy load and burden. The devil and sin, and the curse of the law and death, are gotten upon the shoulders of this poor man, and are treading him down, that he may sink into and be swallowed up of his miry place." (Both Job [Job 30:19] and David [Psalm 69:2,14] share their personal experience of being stuck deep in the mud.)

I have known these deep feelings of shame and regret. They overwhelm me with hopeless thoughts of despair, to the point that life is wasted. David groans, "Deep calls to deep" (Psalm 42:7). What is that? In the previous verse he reveals, "My soul is downcast within me" (Psalm 42:6). "Down? That is deep in the jaws of distrust and fear. And, LORD, my soul in this depth of sorrow calls for help to your depth of mercy; for though I am sinking and going down, yet not so low but that your mercy is yet underneath me: by your compassion open those everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27), and catch him that has no help or resolve in himself. . . . They are said to be everlasting arms that are underneath; that is arms that are long and strong, and that can reach to the bottom and also beyond all the misery and distress that Christians are subject to in this life."

"Although the depths of calamity into which the godly may fall may be as deep as hell, yet this is the comfort, the mercy of God for them lies deeper. And this is that which made Paul unafraid of this depth, 'For I am convinced that . . . neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (Romans 8:38-39). Mercy lies deeper for the godly to help them, than can all other depths to destroy them. This is at which he stands and wonders, saying, 'Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!' (Romans 11:33). God is able to find a way to save His people, notwithstanding all the deep contrivances that the enemy has and may invent to make us fall short of reaching home."

I would do well, as did David, to use these truths as spiritual medicine when I find my soul sinking deep into the pit of despair, and preach to myself: "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God." (Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5). And secondly, pray for His help: "Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O LORD, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy." (Psalm 130:1-2). He alone must be my hope in this life.

Excerpts from John Bunyan's All Loves Excelling along with personal reflections.