The Love of God*

This is a classic old hymn that I really like. I heard it sung at the Gaither Homecoming in Tupelo on Friday. It was sung Sunday Morning at Hope Church. This is a song I hope they sing at my funeral should I die before the 2nd coming of Christ. I use to have the third verse printed out on a 3 X 5 card taped to my toolbox when I was a mechanic at Boeing. Could we with ink the ocean fill, that is a lot of ink. And were the skies of parchment made, that is a lot of paper. Were every stalk on earth a Quill, that is a lot of pens. And every man a scribe by trade, that is a lot of writers. It would drain the ocean dry of ink to write about Gods love. There would not be enough paper to hold the stories of everyone changed by God's love. Think of every addict, alcoholic every sinner redeemed by God's grace over the expanse of time. We could tell the story of King David who had a man killed to hide his adultery and then repented. We could tell of the story of Joseph who went thru many things, falsely accused, thrown into prison, but at the end, even he realized it was all part of God's plan to save the human race. And O so many pages would be devoted to the Christ who God sent to the cross for the sins of the world. There wouldn't be room enough for my simple story. How God sent a preacher to talk directly to me from a pulpit at a Revival in Mount Vernon Washington. How that Preacher thought if this isn't God I will never see this man again. He believed it was God prompting him and from the pulpit called out to me, "Leon, when you stand at the Judgement day before God to give an answer for your life. God is not going to ask who hurt you, but simply what have you done with Jesus?" There were tear stains on that alter that night in January 1984, when God washed away the bitterness and hurt that had built up inside of me. The Love of God had penetrated the hurt that had been keeping me from even going inside the doors of a church. I'll never forget that night, I thought, I am strong enough to sit thru another church service, even if they are all hypocrites. You could tell the story of the slave trader who wrote Amazing Grace. Of Billy Graham, of Johnathan Edwards the preacher during the last great awakening in America. George Mcdonald, Billy Sunday, and what about all the little people whose name we do not know over the centuries? Would there be room enough to write it all? There is another song - There is Room at the Cross for you. There is still room for one. The Love Of God: 1.   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 guilty pair bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin.  Refrain: Oh, love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure— The saints' and angels’ song. 2.When hoary time shall pass away, And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall, When men who here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call, God’s love so sure, shall still endure, All measureless and strong; Redeeming grace to Adam’s race— The saints’ and angels’ song. 3. Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man 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. God Bless, LVZ.