Parenting

Here's a good verse that pastor Jay shared in today's sermon: "...the Son of Man has come to SEEK and to save..." (Luke 19:10). I like knowing that the Lord pursues our children; this is especially reassuring when they grow up and leave home.

The Extreme God

I've been struck by the thought that God puts all of His infinitely loving heart into everything.

He doesn't just share His thoughts with us; He gives us His mind, with His law written on it (1 Corinthians 2:16, Hebrews 10:16).

He doesn't just give, He gives freely, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19, James 1:5, Romans 8:32, Matthew 10:8). That's extreme generosity coupled with infinitely abundant resources. Reminds me of Niagara Falls: mighty, gushing, gracious giving.

He gives Himself to us, to the point of death on a cross, and THEN He also comes to live in our hearts.

How about His extreme faithfulness? He doesn't just father us when we're faithful, but also when we're faithless (2 Timothy 2:13, Deuteronomy 1:31).

He doesn't just talk to us a little. He speaks through nature (Psalm 19:1-4), through the word, through His people, through His Spirit within us. One of His names is the Word (John 1:1-5, 14).

He doesn't just think about us sometimes. He has searched us and known us; He knows our thoughts, and every word we speak before we speak it.

He reveals Himself to those who seek Him (Proverbs 2:1-5, Jeremiah 29:13) and those who don't seek Him (Luke 13:34, Romans 10:20-21).

He hasn't just loved us from the moment of conception in the womb; He loved us and chose us to be His before the creation of the world.

He doesn't just forgive the prodigal; He runs to the prodigal when he's still a long way off. See the extreme love of His heart!

When Paul prayed for the Ephesians to know the Lord's love, he ended the prayer with: "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. AMEN." (Capitalization added by me.) Now, my mind can think up hundreds of ways that I want to be loved, but God's love is more than that! May we all know more of its height and length and width and depth.

Prayer

I've been discussing the subject of prayer with my friends, and that's been interesting and educational. It began with me wondering what to pray for people, since God refuses to violate their free will. I generally pray for people's salvation or growth, but God won't make them be saved or grow. My friend Leslie said that though God may not make up their mind for them, He could, in answer to prayer, heap burning coals on people's heads (Proverbs 25:21-22), in other words, He might put them through a fiery ordeal to make them see that they need Him. Fascinating.