The Mind-boggling Love of God

Sometimes we hear a truth that is mind-boggling, don’t we? For example, according to John 1:12, everyone who has received Christ has been given the right, the privilege, of becoming children of God. Imagine that! We are children of the Almighty God. Children of the One who made heaven and earth and sustains everyone and everything. Children of the One who loves and cares for us far better than even the best of the best earthly fathers ever could love their children.

And…the additional information provided in John 17:23 is also mind-boggling: He loves us as He loves His Beloved Son (Jesus), even though we are “messed up from the floor up.” Even though we break His heart when we ignore Him. Even when we fail to return His love. Even when we sin greatly (and often!) against Him, as well as others.

The Reality of His Love

Can you comprehend such love? I can’t. But it’s a reality for it’s mentioned all throughout the Bible. For example, Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Yes, God loved us before we had even tried to get our lives “together.” As 1 John 4:10 (NLT) says, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

The Eternality of His Love

God won’t stop loving us—no matter what. He said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you [to Myself]” (Jeremiah 31:3). Centuries later, the apostle Paul wrote this in a letter to the Christians in ancient Rome: Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. To expound upon that truth, Paul mentioned several strong forces that try to separate us—-but cannot. For example, tribulation, distress, persecution, and other things that involve great suffering and grief. True, such difficult things can cause us to doubt that God loves us. But even if we doubt or distrust God—or become angry with Him—He continues to love us and care for us despite the emotional distance we place between ourselves and our Father.

An earthly picture of our heavenly Father’s love is found in the parable Jesus told about an earthly father and his prodigal son. Despite the son’s rejection and the rebellion and other unwise decisions he made, the father continued to love him and to long for him to return home. And when that son finally came to his senses and headed home, his father welcomed him with open arms. (Read Luke 15:11-32.)

The Joy of His Love

Knowing that we are fully loved—and fully known—brings inexpressible joy to our hearts even though others may not love us—or even like us. When we believe that He loves us, we can endure loneliness, aloneness, mistreatment, misunderstandings, rejection, and much more. We can smile (through our tears) and lift our heads, knowing we are greatly loved children of God.

May you and I rejoice in His abundant, constant, and eternal love every day.

Greatly Loved

Ever since I first heard Fernando Ortega sing How Deep the Father's Love, the words and the worshipful way he sings them have touched my heart. I listen to it often via YouTube. In fact, I recently learned how to set it on autoplay/loop so that I can hear it again and again as I go about my daily duties. 

As I listen, I sing along, for the words express more beautifully than I ever could the thoughts and feelings in my heart. For that reason, I have added that song to the list of the ones I want to be sung during my funeral service. The messages in all the songs I have chosen are, in effect, my "final words" to family and friends who attend. 

I hope the words in How Deep the Father's Love resonate with you, as well. I'm sharing the link to it now because I want you to be blessed by it and because I consider it especially timely as Christians around the world are reflecting on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. We're remembering--and giving thanks for--the indescribable gift of salvation Jesus gave us. Because He shed His blood on Calvary's cross on our behalf, we are forgiven of all our sins. Because He lives, we who believe in Him will also live with Him eternally. Because He deeply loves us, we deeply love Him in return--and yearn all the more for our lives to be characterized by love, just as His was.

Click here to listen: https://youtu.be/jKdbN3GiL4E

A Father's Joy

Let Me!

The words God spoke in the Old Testament book of Hosea 11 warm my heart—and break it. 

In that passage, God says, in essence:

As I read that story and many others (for example, Jeremiah 31:3) that tell how Father God continues to love His wayward children, I wonder, How could God’s people be so blind—and stupid? How could they continue to reject the One who loved them so much?

As I fume over that, I hear Him say to me, “Johnnie, dear Johnnie, you do the same thing! You ignore Me much of the time. You go your own way. You listen to the teachings of those who don’t know Me or love Me. You seem to forget that I am the source of all truth and of all wisdom. You often forget that I am the One who gives you the very air you breathe and all the blessings you enjoy.

“O, precious child, return to Me! I love you with an everlasting love. I want to be a Father to you. I want to teach you and guide you. Let Me!” 

In His Hands

O Father, I want to be as pliable as a lump of clay in Your hands and as silent. By that I mean I don’t want to question Your design of me. I acknowledge that You have every right to make me--and to use me--however You wish.

Yet, as You know, Father, I tend to look at other “vessels” You have made and to want to be like them. And, as You also know, I tend to think my many flaws make me of little use to You. Forgive me for demeaning your design of me. You knew exactly what You were doing when You created me. Forgive me for being unwilling to believe You want to use me.

Father, I acknowledge that I am the work of Your hands and that You can and will use me for Your purposes—whether in common or uncommon ways, whether in special service or lowly service. The choice is Yours. I'm content with whatever You choose. I'm excited to see what You will do in me and with me and through me.

Behold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in Mine (Jeremiah 18:6).

A Brightly Shining Light

When the memorial service ended, I headed straight to the college-age woman who had sung so beautifully and said, “I just have to tell you how touched I was with your singing. Your voice is like that of an angel. And the light of Christ shines from within you.”

She smiled sweetly and said, “I do love the Lord.”

“That’s very obvious,” I said.

During the few minutes we talked, she told me that her life’s verse is Matthew 5:16. She even uses m516 as part of her blog address, which reminds her of that verse every time she types the address or shares it with a friend, as she did with me.

A day or so later, I looked up that verse and the surrounding ones. As I read Matthew 5:14-16, I noticed that Jesus had spoken those words to His disciples, which means they apply to us today.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15nor does anyone put a lamp under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (NASB).

She was a wonderful example of that. The light of the Lord was all over her: in her eyes, on her face, in her body language, and in the emotion with which she sang “Amazing Grace” and “When We All Get to Heaven.”

Because I want to be a light like that, I prayed, “O Father, I do want to let others see Jesus in me. I want His light to be so evident in me that people (even strangers) will be attracted to the light they see in/on me and will inquire about it, as I did with the young lady. And when they inquire, may I acknowledge, as she did, that Jesus is the source of that light, that He is the One who deserves the praise and glory for the beautiful light that radiates from me to others."

A Parent’s Delight

To wish her son a Happy Father’s Day, my friend Betty posted (on Facebook) a picture of him and his daughter. After describing Jeff as “the best father a child could have,” Betty concluded the message by saying, “We love you,” something she and her husband had surely said many times to Jeff.

I commented immediately, saying, “What a thrill to see Jeff and his daughter!!! I’m so happy he’s such a wonderful dad—but I am not the least bit surprised that he is. I wouldn’t have expected him to be otherwise. Please tell him hello for me and that I am so proud of him.”

I haven’t seen Jeff since he became an adult, but I remember how he delighted me when he was one of my third grade students. He never gave me one minute’s trouble. He was diligent, well-behaved, always prepared, polite, kind…Thus, I was not at all surprised to hear he was a wonderful dad. 

As I thought about Jeff and his proud parents, I recalled what the Bible says about a son (or daughter!) who turns out well.

The father of a righteous man has great joy; 

he who has a wise son delights in him. 

May your father and mother be glad; 

may she who gave you birth rejoice.

~Proverbs 23:24-25, NIV.

Led By a Strong Hand

Every time I read another  devotional by Amy Carmichael, I say, "Oh, this is my favorite one!" Then when I read the next one and the next one, I say, "Oh, this is my favorite one." 

One of my favorites is  found on pp. 15-17 in I Come Quietly to Meet You: An Intimate Journey in God's Presence.

At the beginning of that devotional, Amy talks about how God causes His word, like a strong hand, to reach out and take firm hold of us, leading into a deeper understanding of the truth and a fuller application of it to our lives.

As I reflected on that, I remembered a photo I'd  taken years ago. It's one of my favorites! It shows my husband having a firm, yet gentle, grasp of our grandson's hand. Michael (age 8) has willingly placed his hand in "Pop's" hand, eager to go wherever Pop wants to take him. Because of the great love they share, Pop would never lead him down harmful paths. Michael knows that. Therefore, he has no fear, no resistance, to being held in the grasp of Pop's hand.

Prayer: O Loving Father, may I be even more willing to place my hand in Yours and to eagerly go with You wherever You lead and to obediently do whatever You say.

His Life Is Love Expressed

One year as Father’s Day was approaching, I began to observe the fathers around me. I saw them coaching Little League teams. I saw them heading off to work in order to provide for their families. I saw them helping their children and/or grandchildren with all sorts of projects. I saw them caring for their parents. I saw them having dinner with their wives. I observed them bowing their heads and giving thanks for the food they and their families were preparing to eat.

            

Observing fathers as they served their families and fellow citizens in various ways brought to mind the words on this plaque one of my daughters gave her dad on Father’s Day many years ago, words descriptive of him then and now.

           

I have no idea who wrote those words, but they certainly apply to many dads. I, for one, am very grateful for those men whose lives are “love expressed.” I pray that their children will notice their dad’s quiet sacrifice and realize how blessed they are to have (or to have had) such a wonderful dad.

I’m also aware that not all dads are as described above. But the children of dads who mistreated them and/or abandoned them can also take comfort in this great truth expressed again and again in the Bible: We have a Heavenly Father who loves us far more than even the best of earthly fathers ever could.

            

David certainly found that to be true in his life. Again and again, like a wonderful father, God came to his rescue. God forgave him. God gave him extraordinary opportunities and blessings. Throughout David’s life, God talked with him and listened as David talked to Him. All that (and much more) prompted David to describe God as a “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows…” (Psalm 68:5).

            

Jesus also often reminded His followers that God was not only His Father but theirs, as well. For example, when Jesus was teaching His followers how to pray, He taught them to address God as “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9).

            

And in Luke 12, Jesus assured His followers their Father would most surely provide for them. “Don’t worry about money and possessions! Your heavenly Father already knows your needs and will give you all you need from day to day—if you make the Kingdom of God your primary focus!”

           

Not only will our Heavenly Father supply all that we need for day-to-day living, but it gives Him great happiness to do so! (See Luke 12.).

How blessed we are to have such a Father!!! And if we’ve also been gifted with an earthly father whose life is “love expressed,” well that’s, as a dear friend and neighbor of ours often said, “Doubly good. Doubly good.”

© 2012 by Johnnie Ann Burgess Gaskill. Scriptures quoted are from the New Living Translation.