Lavish God

I have always loved this scripture in 1 John 3:1 because of a characteristic of God that is evident in this scripture. It speaks of the fact that God LAVISHED His love on us. The definition of the verb ‘lavish’ is: ‘To bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities on; spend, expend, heap, shower, pour, deluge, give generously, give unstintingly, bestow freely’.

God is a generous God who never does anything sparingly. He’s not a tight-fisted God who gives only when we’ve earned something, or have impressed Him in some way. In fact, God gave His best and most precious Gift, His Son Jesus, while we were still sinners, and completely oblivious of this amazing sacrifice (see Romans 5:8).

Ephesians 1:7-8 says, ‘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’.

God is an ‘over-the-top’ God. He’s not a God of grey areas. There’s no middle road with Him. He gives us freedom to choose life or death (Deuteronomy 30:19), the narrow or the broad way (Matthew 7:13). He doesn’t like lukewarm (Revelation 3:16), but wants us to be zealous and full of fervour (Romans 12:11). He gives His Son without hesitation, and ‘boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit!’ (John 3:34) He’s kind, compassionate, and full of grace and mercy, but He’s also a jealous God, who wants all of us. There are no half-measures with God, because ‘He does everything well’ (Mark 7:37).

Our earthly vocabulary mostly lacks the words that could accurately describe God’s extravagant nature and His way of doing things. Ephesians 3:20 says that God is ‘able to carry out His purpose and do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]’. Nothing is impossible or too difficult for God. His resources are inexhaustible. ‘For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth…He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together’ (Colossians 1:16-17).

When I meditate on this God I serve, the One who lavishes me with love, compassion, grace and kindness, the God whose nature is one of excellence and generosity, I can’t help but worship with a grateful heart!

‘Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!’ (Psalm 150:6).

Prayer: Lord, I worship You for Your greatness and Your lavish love! Thank You that You never hold back Your best from me, and that You generously give all that I need. In You I live, and breathe and have my being! Amen.