We know that in ten thousand times ten thousand years, we will still be discovering, still be marveling, still be rejoicing at the love of our great God—the love that is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell.

An old story tells of a settler who traveled from east to west, from lands that were settled to lands that were still unknown. Having grown weary of city living and having begun to crave wide-open spaces, he spent all he had on a vast but speculative parcel of land in the far-off territories. When springtime arrived, he sold his home, gathered his family, loaded his wagons, and traveled briskly westward, eager to see the property that was now his.

When he arrived, he was struck by the lushness and beauty of the land, but had little time to consider it further, for his first task was to build a small cabin to house his family. Over the course of the following weeks he dug a well and planted a garden and fenced off a pasture for his cattle. And while he saw that the land surrounding his home was fertile and good, he longed to explore further, to see more of his purchase.

Finally, when the family was comfortable, the cattle settled, and the crops planted, he was able to take the time to properly survey his land. Walking miles to his property’s highest point, he scaled the heights, then stood upon them and looked north, east, south, west, squinting and straining to see all the way to the four horizons. He allowed his eyes to linger on gushing springs of cool water, on gentle ponds teeming with fish, on towering forests flush with game, on open fields ripe for cultivation. He saw water and timber, rock and clay—all that a man could desire. As his eyes eagerly took it all in, his heart rejoiced, for he knew now that his purchase had been good.

Returning to his little cabin he joyfully told his family all he had seen, even if it was only from a great height and from a far distance. Then he explained, “It will take a lifetime to fully discover and cultivate this property that is ours. So we will begin right here and each season we will push out the fences a little further and a little further as we make our away across this vast land.”

Read More