Up to the Sky

Week 7, Thursday

Amy Hood

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. . . . How priceless is your unfailing love! Psalm 36:5,7

“Up to the sky and down to the ground,” I said to him. In my mind—the mind of a little girl—that was the grandest thing I could think of. Nothing is farther away than the sky. And I wanted to describe my love for my daddy as vast. So, when I said, “I love you,” he always asked, “How much?” And my response to that question was always, “Up to the sky and down to the ground.” For as far back as I can remember, this was the exchange between us. And it went on until he lost his battle with cancer. I loved him deeply.

In describing my love for my dad, I was relaying that my love for him was equal to the distance from the ground to the sky and back down to the ground again. That’s a huge love. We had a very special relationship.

In thinking about this kind of love, it always reminds me of God’s love. The psalmist wrote, “Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens.” How great the Father’s love is for us! Do we love Him in return like that? Loving my earthly father in that way was easy. I could touch him, I could hold his hand. He cared for me in ways that I could see with my eyes. With our heavenly Father, we can’t touch Him. Often times, we don’t “feel” Him there with us. So loving Him with a vast love doesn’t always come quite so easily. But He loves you and me deeply. His love for us cannot be measured, nor can it be contained. How exciting is that? The Savior of the world loves us more than can even be described! This gives me a comfort in my soul that allows me to love others deeply and fully.

Sometimes we feel as though we are the only one on this earth. We feel so very unloved and alone. Take great comfort in knowing that God loves you with a never-ending love.

Heavenly Father, how great Your love is for us. It’s unfailing and it’s never ending. Thank You for the gift of Your vast love. Thank You for loving me. In Jesus’ name, amen.