Water troughs overflowing are problematic.

You Can’t Contain God’s Love, So Stop Trying to Build a Box

At our farm, we’ve got an automatic watering system that keeps the horses’ troughs full day and night. It works great—most of the time. But every now and then, something goes wrong.

Usually it’s a stuck float. Sometimes it’s a frozen line. And occasionally, it’s something bigger. I remember walking up to a small barn one morning and immediately hearing the sound of rushing water. A coupling had ruptured. Water was pouring out, flooding the stall several inches deep. And standing in the middle of it all was a horse with that classic innocent look—like, “I didn’t do it.”

Annoying? Yes. But moments like that also serve as unexpected reminders of God’s love for me.

See, that little trough—just like me—was never built to hold the kind of overflow that was rushing in. And the same is true with God’s love. The “trough” called Chris is far too small to contain the limitless, overwhelming love God has for me.

But if I’m honest, I’ve tried to put God’s love in a box before. I’ve put unfair boundaries around it, trying to define it by my logic, my intellect, or my past mistakes. I’ve told myself I had to earn it. Or that maybe I wasn’t worthy of it. But the truth? God’s love isn’t reasonable. It isn’t boxed in. It’s not limited. It overflows—and always will.

Maybe you’re in a season right now where God’s love feels distant. Dry. Silent. If so, let me gently remind you: keep seeking Him.

Even if it feels quiet, He is there.
Even if it seems still, He is working.
Even now—He is preparing a table for you.Let the flood of His love overflow the walls you’ve built.
You weren’t meant to contain it. You were meant to receive it.