Beloved, the dusty road is long and a trek if you climb the hill to the train track above our house. Our dusty road winds and twists and turns, the gravel is uneven, yet the trees are full and beautiful this time of the year. I’ve told you about cows, deer, rabbits, and turtles, but I failed to mention that I also get to see horses and sheep. At this time, we are lavishing our road with green plants and foliage that are so beautiful.
Our word today is lavished. The definition of lavished is sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious. Lavish is in the Bible six times, as the word lavished is in the Bible six times.
Lavish is in our verse from 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! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1
As a verb lavished means to bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities on, so we see this in the following verses in Ephesians 1: 7-9
In him we have redemption through his blood,the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s gracethat he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,he[a] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ.
Thoughts
Sweet friend, while thinking about this verse and the dusty road I am walking on, I can see where God has lavished his love on me. First, in the song Count Your Blessing, we are to name them individually. The blessings include the wildflowers, the animals, and the fact that we overlook a hay field. The land surrounding our house shows God has a love for the world.
God paints the sky on the dusty road to work in the morning. When I see the magnificent colors, I often wonder why some doubt there is a God. Daily at the hospital where I work, I witness God at work. God asks us to think about pure things; read this verse from Philippians with me.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8.
This last week, change has occurred, and I have struggled to renew my mind. In Wendy Blight’s new book, Rest for Your Soul, the way to restore your mind is to practice silence, and for solitude, you need time with God and Jesus in his word. Rest is so important. What is your soul thirsting for? And What well are you drawing from?
She reminds me that as a child of God–we have this heritage,
“Through the blood of Jesus, I am redeemed out of the hand of the devil; through the blood of Jesus, I am forgiven–washed white as snow; through the blood of Jesus, I am justified–made righteous in God’s eyes, just as if I had not sinned,
through the blood of Jesus, I am made holy in God’s sight–at apart for His purposes.
through the blood of Jesus, I received the gift of, and am sealed by the Holy Spirit–making my body a living, breathing temple of God’s Holy Spirit.
through the blood of Jesus and the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit–I am an overcomer.
Satan has no hold on me, and He has no power over me. He must flee in the name of Jesus.”
Wendy is a friend who also wrote Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner. I begin Chapter 2 this week and it is all about hiding God’s word in your heart.
I know that I can do better with memorization.
Now
For me, I have so appreciated what I am learning from Wendy’s new book Rest For Your Soul. I’ve had to apply it at work as things are changing at work. Change is hard and for me, I retired in 2017 and have questioned whether it might not be time to retire again. Yet, daily God uses me.
However, the change in my dusty road at work has been frustrating. Yet after some time in prayer, in silence and solitude, I even asked for prayer from one of the chaplains. Later that day a change of heart, my mind renewed, dusted off-forgiveness works every time. I know that as long as God uses me, I will stay as a case manager.
Because I led an online group, and perhaps Satan was trying to derail me, but as I read Wendy’s book, I persevered with God. My time of silence is increasing and solitude is occurring daily as I read God’s word. Do you have a daily quiet time?
Prayer
Father God, thank you for the dusty road that I am on, thank you that daily I see you working in the lives of the patients and the lives of my friends and family. For the person that is experiencing change, let them turn to you. For the woman suffering with anxiety, let them seek you. For the woman struggling to be alone with you, let them start with just a minute and the verse that you have lavished your love on her. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen
I am loved by God, the alpha, the omega, the beginning, the end. According to the Bible, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am a saint who sometimes sins. I believe that Jesus is God's son and that He died on the cross to give me eternal life. I am married to my high school sweet heart Doug. I have been blessed by two adult sons Randy and Dale, who are married and I have six grandchildren Christian, Seth, Ethan, Hunter, Sabrina and Emerson. I became a nurse as an adult. I have had an amazing career and give all the glory to God.
Lavish is in our verse from 1 John 3:1
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