Several years ago I had a man reach out to me to help his daughter buy a house. While looking for a house, I could tell by his actions and attention to each detail the great love he had for his daughter. In the process, he would check everything imaginable to be sure the house would be a good fit. Was it in a safe neighborhood; were the windows good; was the furnace in working order; was it built by a reputable contractor; was the bank treating her fairly; how could she finish the basement in the future; was she getting the best price for the house? All these details seem somewhat small, but together they add up to something big and he wanted to be sure his daughter was protected, secure and could make it her home. All of these actions were done out of his love for her and helping her get to the point of finally opening the door to her first home.
About a year ago this man called me again. He shared that his daughter was going through some struggles and decided she should sell her house for a fresh start. He asked me if I could help them through this challenging time. When I explained I no longer had my real estate license and I would not be able to help them this time, I could hear the disappointment in his voice. I was able to give some advice and a few names of people that I trusted to help them. A few months later, he shared with me that they were able to get the house sold and how his daughter was able to have a fresh start. He was so happy and through our conversation I could once again see the great love he had for his daughter.
This is just a small example of the love our Heavenly Father has for us. Our Father inspects each step of our life and guides us in a way that keeps us out of harm’s way. At times, we stumble and get ourselves into situations that can be hurtful, agonizing and leave us calling out in our pain.
I was reflecting on Psalm 107 this week. This psalm was written to celebrate the Jews’ return from their exile in Babylon. As I was reading the text and the struggles they had endured, one statement was repeated several times and it caught my attention. “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble” (vs. 6, 13, 19 & 28) After each of these phrases it goes on to tell us what God’s action of love was -“delivered them,” “saved them,” “rescued them,” and “brought them out of their distress.”
Jesus’ disciple, John reminds us of God’s great love for us in 1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” I love the word lavished used in this text. According to Webster’s Dictionary, lavish is defined as “expended or produced in abundance; marked by profusion or excess.” As a believer, you are God’s child and His love for you is abundant!
This week we are, yet again, reminded of the abundant love of our Father. When we cry out to Him, He is faithful to deliver, save and rescue us. No matter how far we’ve fallen, we can receive God’s free gift of forgiveness and begin a new life. God knew we could never keep His commands perfectly, so He sent His Son not only to be a perfect example, but as a sacrifice to save us all. He sent His Son to die a horrible death on the cross to ultimately give us life; life with our Father.
What an amazing gift to be called children of God.
Becky Ossefoort