Tuesday, November 1, 2016

A New View Of God

Hey Friend,

Ever since I was a little girl in Sunday School, I've always had a positive, warm and fuzzy feeling about Jesus.  I remember, vividly, in our illustrated Bibles, the picture of Jesus seated and beckoning all the little children to come and climb into His arms and His lap.  He smiled kindly as He spoke...

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them!"  (Matthew 19:14)

Exclamation points are not often used in the Bible, so the fact that Jesus made this a very emphatic statement has always stuck with me.

I have to admit that my way of seeing God, as being so kind, was through Jesus' statement to Philip...

"Anyone who has seen me sees the Father."  (John 14:9)

Okay, so if I see all the love that Jesus pours out - saving sinners from being stoned, washing others' feet, inviting doubters to touch his scarred hands, healing lepers, etc., then I could transpose those warm fuzzies from Jesus onto God.

Even still, I had this lingering doubt that God could be so loving and forgiving. After all, I'd read about the plagues, and His anger with the disobedient Israelites, and the Great Flood.  I could still envision God sitting on His throne, making hash marks on His great tally sheet of how many times I'd screwed up. 
You too??

Well then I invite you to join me in meditating on a segment of scripture that I've been allowing to sink in.  I encourage you to read it slowly and linger on the words I have put in bold print.  Let's look at it together...

Ephesians 1: 3-14:

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.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us.  With all wisdom and understanding he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment - to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works our everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who ARE God's possession - to the praise of his glory. 

Look at what God, himself, has done...

He blessed us with every spiritual blessing...

He chose us to be holy...

He predestined us for adoption to sonship...

In Him we have redemption for our sins...

HE LAVISHED HIS GRACE UPON US....

I especially love the word choice here...He didn't give us His grace, no, He lavished his grace upon us.

Lavished (perisseuo in Greek) means:  to have in abundance, more than enough, overflow, to have an excess amount, to abound, to bless abundantly, to bless or excel. A great degree of excess!!

God, in His great love for us, drenches us in His grace.  Picture yourself standing under a rushing waterfall of His love and grace pouring down upon you... completely soaking you...blessing you abundantly and never ceasing.  Getting the picture??

He made known to us wisdom...

He purposed His good pleasure...

He brings unity...

In Him we were chosen, predestined, and included in Christ...

HE CREATED US SIMPLY 'TO BE' FOR THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY!!

Our simply "being" (no doing required) brings praise of His glory.

You were marked with a seal showing His ownership....

Your inheritance has been guaranteed...

You ARE His praise-worthy possession.  

Now and Forever...

I hope you see the smile on God's face when He looks at you...YOU, his daughter...his son, in whom He delights and takes great, great pleasure!

He rejoices over you with singing for YOU are His prized possession...so much so that He has marked you with the seal of the Holy Spirit so that no one, no thing can snatch you out of His loving hands.  

He didn't begrudgingly give, nor did He dribble or drizzle His love and grace upon you, no, He LAVISHED it upon you.  He poured out all of himself - the very blood of His Son Jesus - so that He could live with you forever in eternity.  

He sent His Son to die....rather than to live without YOU!!!

If this doesn't speak of a God who loves you, then I don't know what does???

What hinders you from seeing God as loving you?  How have you characterized God?  Do you believe that He loves YOU with an unceasing love?  If not, would you pray with me to receive the TRUTH of His mercy, grace, and love?

Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me for the misconceived notions I've had about you.  Help me to remove the human traits I've placed upon you. Help me to understand that you don't get disappointed in me.  You don't lose your patience with me.  You won't ever give up on me no matter what.  Thank you God that you are unchanging and that means your love for ME is unchanging too.  Enable the Truth that you want to LAVISH your grace, mercy, and love upon me to sink deep into my spirit.  Help me to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I am your prized possession - your child in whom you are well pleased.  I claim a new view of you God - one that beckons me to come to you and one that holds me in your everlasting arms.  In the precious name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Be blessed...

ps.  REDEEMER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL MAXED OUT AT 50 IN CURRENT FACILITY!!



19 comments:

  1. Bev, isn't it great when God gives us revelation and a new way to view who He is! I love your post and how you shared your journey to your new perspective and view and thank you Jesus that we have been given every spiritual blessing. Yay so glad I get to be your neighbor at #CoffeeForYourHeart today

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    1. Debbie,
      So glad you popped over from Holley's place. The amazing thing is that the older I get the more God keeps revealing Himself to me. Just when I think I've got Him all figured out (lol) He takes me deeper still. O, what an awesome and loving God we have!!
      Blessings,
      Bev

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  2. Hello Neighbor! Always enjoy your writings!

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    1. Susan,
      Thanks for your continual encouragement!! And, for taking the time to pause awhile...
      Blessings,
      Bev

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  3. Beautiful post, Bev, on the love and position we hold in Christ. It truly is amazing when we stop to analyze all the ways He has not only loved us but taken us in as His children and Bride. Thanks for sharing this very biblical overflow of encouragement, my friend! Hug to you!

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    1. Beth,
      It's amazing - I've read this segment of scripture at other times, but each time I do, God reveals something new...another facet of Himself or something I missed the first go round. His Word truly is alive and living. I'm glad it encouraged you as much as it encouraged me!
      Blessings friend,
      Bev xx

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  4. Hi Bev!
    First I love your new photo -- you look so lovely! :) Thank you for posting these verses and highlighting all that he gives us -- or rather lavishes upon us -- I am so grateful for that! It does speak of his everlasting love for us that carries us always!

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    1. Thanks Valerie,
      I jokingly say that I clean up well lol. When I really sat and dwelt upon how lavishly He pours out His love on us...well, it just blew me away! Always love having you here!
      Blessings,
      Bev

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  5. Dear Bev ... I love Paul's letters. Thank you for taking us there today. We leave blessed.

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    1. Linda,
      I truly believe that the Holy Spirit took me to this letter of Paul's...it was something my heart needed to hear. I'm glad you came along with me on the journey.
      Blessings friend,
      Bev

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  6. We become so inoculated to truth by our light reading of Scripture. Thanks for giving me so much motivation to read with appreciation the Words of God - revelation about His nature and His ways. This is no small thing.

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    1. Michele,
      I am so guilty of skimming the scriptures - especially if it's a segment I've read many times. I'm trying to grow in the discipline of slowing down and really trying to let sink in what God is telling me. When I am still, and listen, that's when peace abides.
      Blessings,
      Bev

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  7. It's lovely to be reminded of God's lavish grace, and all the scripture that you mentioned in this post. I came over here from Holley Gerth's blog, and God's word is just jumping out at me. Thank you for writing this.

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    1. Welcome Deborah,
      A lot of the time, God's Word has a way of jumping right off the pages and into our hearts - if we'll let it. This scripture was jumping out at me, too, this week. Glad it resonated with your heart as well!
      Blessings,
      Bev

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  8. One of my favorite portions of scripture. Thanks for sharing at Glimpses this week.

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    1. Barbie
      Yes, this is one segment of scripture that I never get tired of turning to!!
      Blessings friend,
      Bev

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  10. I love this! It reminds me of the book Rejoicing in Christ, by Michael Reeves. It's all about how Jesus is a revelation of God the Father. Jesus isn't sone "nice version" of God, He is God's Son, a perfect imprint of what His Father is like. As Hebrews says, "3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high," Hebrews 1:3
    God the Father shows His love in sending Christ and turning our hearts to Him effectively! He's not begrudging, but oh so generous! If you've heard the song "Generous King" by sovereign grace music, it's about this idea too. Thank you for this great reminder, Bev!

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    1. Meredith,
      Amen!! I couldn't have said it better myself! You hit the nail on the head! Thank you for sharing your insights. I'll have to check out that song!
      Blessings,
      Bev

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