Words

I've been reading a book by Brennen Manning and he is really one of the most eloquent users of adjectives I've read, which makes sense since he's attempting to describe God. In the book he frequently caveats his paragraphs by saying that words can't really describe the true essence of the love of God; the particular thing he's attempting to describe. But what really gives words meaning? I think we are trying to wrap our language around ideas or feelings or concepts or God to describe them and define them so that we might attempt to share these with someone. Do we succeed?