Yesterday we were talking about personalizing what we read in God’s word. Making our daily lives a friendship with the Father let us enjoy His presence and His person.
For years preachers delivered messages that did a great disservice to our loving Father. They delivered messages of hell fire and brimstone. They said everything the people were doing brought God’s judgment on them and the land they lived in.
God was blamed for failed crops, children dying of the pox, drought, cattle wasting away and bad-tempered people.
Where’s the grace? Where’s the loving Father? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying God doesn’t judge sin, He does but He also provides salvation through grace to the sinner. I honestly believe we need to do more teaching about God’s love and less about His judgement.
“You surely don’t think much of God’s wonderful goodness or of his patience and willingness to put up with you. Don’t you know that the reason God is good to you is because he wants you to turn to him?” Romans 2:4 CEV
Paul worked hard to counter the misrepresentation of God in his time too. His was a message of repentance and grace.
“In Christ we come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this because of our faith in Christ…14 So I bow in prayer before the Father. 15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him. 16 I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.
20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:12-21 ERV
This is one of those group of verses that I read every day. It reminds me how wonderful and glorious God is. It reassures me each time I read it of the greatness of God’s love and how He wants His power to work in us. That is how we honor Him.
May your day be filled with the goodness of God.
Thank you for sharing the love that God has for us. Like all humans I live a better life through love and encouragement than through threats. My Jesus is a loving God. Also, thank you for sharing some verses that inspire you daily. I also have a list.
Thank you Marion for sharing. Yes, once we realize God is building a love relationship with us and not going to send lightning bolts from heaven when we mess up we will draw closer to Him.