Earlier this week we celebrated Valentine’s Day and showed extra love to those around us with hearts and cards and chocolate and flowers. It was a great day, but we celebrate that day only once a year. Our Father God celebrates that day every day and lavishes us with that love.

Last month,  I worked my way through the Gospel of Mark. It is a concise story of Jesus’ life on earth.

As I read Mark, I am impressed how much our Father in heaven loves us. First we are told how much He loved His Son, Jesus.  And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy (Mark 1:11 NLT). Wow! The Son brings great joy to the Father. In our study we were told to read another passage, written by his disciple, John: 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 John 3:1 NIV).

Those verses struck me in a new way. We’ve just enjoyed the celebration of love in Valentine’s Day where we showed love to ones close to us–usually our mate if they are still with us. But if we look at the verses above, our love cannot compare to how our God loves us. First in His Son, who brought the Father great joy, but then in us as a lavishing love.

It’s easy to love our own children. Other children we like, but not the same love we have for our own. But the Father’s love is far greater. His son brought Him great joy, and then later on, it tells us He loves us with lavishing love.

Webster’s dictionary states lavish as ...occuring in abundance. 

Sometimes, things happen in our lives and we blame God, not understanding why He would allow them to happen to us. Yet, in so many places in the Bible, there are stories and themes of God’s love. I hope just the two references I gave you might direct you to the lavishing love the Father has for us.

I don’t know the tune to this hymn I read today from my book of hymns, it was written in the 1400’s and translated from Latin in the 1800’s, but the words resonate with me. I hope you read them aloud and take in how much our God loves us.

O love, how deep, how broad, how high,

How passing thought and fantasy,

That God, the Son of God, should take

Our mortal form for mortal’s sake.

For us He rose from death again,

 

For us He went on high to reign;

For us He sent His Spirit here

To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.

 

All glory to our Lord and God

For love so deep, so high, so broad:

The Trinity, whom we adore

For ever and for evermore.

For those of you who are going through deep waters, whether through illness, loss of a loved one, loss of a job, alienation from a friend or family, I hope these words might help you understand just a little how much God the Father, and His Son, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit love us. Take it in.  Sometimes it’s hard for me to understand the Trinity, but that’s all right. We can still take in that love. A lavishing love. Forever and forevermore.