In Psalm 19:1, David tells us, “The heavens declare the glories of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” This is true of all God’s creation. A recent camping trip on the beach provided hours of wonder as I reflected on the vastness of the ocean. There are beautiful shades of blue and green as far as the eye can see. From my limited view, looking off to the horizon, the ocean seems to be limitless. The waves continue to crash on the shore day by day, no matter when I return to enjoy them. Wave after wave comes ashore in endless succession. There is no lack; the supply is inexhaustible.
The seeming limitlessness of the ocean is a beautiful picture for the reality of God’s fullness. He alone is inexhaustible. He alone supplies our every need for grace out of all that He is.
In his gospel account, the word that John uses for “fullness” means “the sum of all that is in God”. Twice in his letter to the Colossians, Paul uses the same word.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him. (Colossians 1:19, NIV)
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form. (Colossians 2:9, NIV)
In the incarnation, we wonder that a helpless baby carried all the fullness of God. We wonder that our limitless God put on the limits of a human body so that we could receive grace upon grace.
This Advent season a trip to the beach might be a perfect reminder of the abundance of God’s grace that washes over us wave after wave, out of all his fullness at every point of need. Take some time to reflect on God’s abundance toward you in all that Jesus has been for you.
All we who believe in Jesus have received an abundant supply of all that our souls need out of the full store that resides in Him for His people. It is from Christ and Christ alone, that all our spiritual wants have been supplied. – J.C. Ryle
Nicole Jiles
Children’s Ministries Director