Our Heavenly Father

Lavishes His Love Upon Us!

3/6/05

 

Our heavenly Father doesn’t just “put up with us” He lavishes His love upon us!

1 Jo. 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

“has lavished on us” means to super abound!

Eph. 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹ And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. ¹¹ In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

His lavish love is demonstrated in countless ways, but I want to show three of the most significant ways He shows this kind of love.

First, His lavish love means it’s unconditional.

His love for us isn’t shilly-shally. It doesn’t change and doesn’t fluctuate! He doesn’t love us more when we are having a good day and less on a bad day. It’s impossible for our Heavenly Father to love us more than what He already does! There is nothing we can do to earn more of His love!

Rom. 5:6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Second, His lavish love means that He cares about the little things we care about.

2 Ki. 6:1 The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. ² Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.” And he said, “Go.” ³ Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied. ⁴ And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. ⁵ As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron ax head fell into the water. “Oh, my lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!” ⁶ The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. ⁷ “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.

Expect God to do miracles in the little areas of your life where God delights to show His love and care.

Third, His lavish love is seen in what He has prepared for us.

Mat. 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

1 Cor. 2:9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— ¹⁰ but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

Jo. 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Even though our Heavenly Father lavishes such love upon us, it’s not experienced if we do not believe it and receive it!

1 Thess. 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

If you don’t believe that God loves you with this tremendous love unconditionally--you won’t experience it.

If you don’t believe that God cares about the little things in your life--you won’t experience it.

If you don’t believe that God has prepared something so marvelous for you--you won’t experience it.

Eph. 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Lord Jesus please forgive me for my unbelief and doubt. Your love is lavish! I don’t go by how I feel, I believe what you say. I open my heart and receive your great love. Thank you for caring about the big things in my life and the small things as well. With all my heart I look forward to what you have prepared for me!