No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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 8:37-39

Whenever you skip a rock across a body of water, the rock generates waves or ripples. The strongest ripple is at the center where the rock hits and the ripples replicate throughout the water until we see them no more. In reality, the ripples are actually deep and moving up and down. That is what creates the wake you see on the surface of the water. God’s love is similar. 

Many of us seem to have our own definition of God’s love. Our definition of love can be skewed because we are sinful. We know of God’s love through His written word in the Bible. God’s love is mentioned 361 times in scripture. A way to define God’s love is to know grace. The definition of grace is “unmerited divine assistance granted to humans for their regeneration or sanctification.” 

When the rock skims the water there will always be a wake. It is a matter of cause and effect –you can’t have one without the other. The same is true for love and grace. To know God’s love is to know His grace. Grace is the action of God’s love. God’s grace and love are inseparable. Grace is the powerful ripple effect of God’s unending love. 

For God sent his only begotten  Son, Jesus Christ, innocent and righteous, to take the penalty of death for our sins. It is through Jesus Christ that we are forgiven and acquitted. Grace is the expanse of God’s love, rippling across the water to reach the hearts of the lost and searching. The grace of God is His love for us and it is what fuels our love for Him. 

Our gift of salvation is God’s unconditional love and nothing can or will ever separate us from that love. Things that happen in our life – like anxiety, depression, or the death of a loved one –  may seem as if we are alone and that God’s love is nowhere to be seen. But He is there for us, and no matter what we are facing, nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Take the opportunity to skip a rock across a body of water. Remember the ripples are not as they seem, much like our experience of God’s love. The depth of our Father’s love is defined through His immeasurable grace.