“How do we measure God’s love for us?” was the subject of the Children’s Time at church this morning.  Being someone who believes that we often learn as much from Children’s Time as we do from the “adult” sermon, I listened and thought about the question.

The Children’s Minister started by suggesting that we might be able to measure God’s love with a measuring cup, the same way we measure flour or vegetable oil.  So how many cups of God’s love would each of us get?  Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Then she suggested that we might be able to measure God’s love with a tape measure.  How many feet of God’s love would each of us get?  Psalm 36:5:  “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.”

Finally she suggested that we might be able to measure God’s love by using a watch and timing it.  How long has God loved us?  How long will he continue to love us?  Psalm 136:1:  “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His love endures forever.”

I wondered how much God loves us when we don’t feel loved or when we don’t feel deserving of love.  But God’s love is not dependent on our feelings and he loves us the same no matter how great our need.  Psalm 116:6:  “The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.”

So how can we measure God’s love?  By his son Jesus.  We ask “how much do you love me?”  And Jesus answered “this much, as he stretched out his arms and died.”  How much does God love us?  My answer:  from fingertip to fingertip on the cross.  John 3:16:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should never die.”

How do you measure God’s love?