Encouragement

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Lavished!

Greek for lavished is perisseuō which means to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain number or measure and to furnish one richly so that he has abundance.

Lavished, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means to cover something thickly or liberally with. It is derived from a late Middle English term meaning profusion and old French lavasse meaning deluge of rain and Latin meaning to wash.

1 John 3:1a says

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Ephesians 1:7-9 says

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

So to be lavished with love and grace is to washed by a profuse deluge of rain…and might I add in a sweltering and humid day. In a world that lacks grace and love this is an amazing picture of our Father. He comes with abundance, overflowing goodness, grace, and love.

During worship on Sunday the word lavished exploded in my spirit. We are lavished with His love. We are lavished with His grace. It’s hard to put into words what God speaks to me but I try. I find that in Scripture as well, with the common “like” and “as” being used. Classic simile type metaphors. I would liken this lavishness to when I used to have an 88′ Honda Accord and no A/C in the summer. Maryland summers can get pretty sweltering somethings and boy did I love to get out of that car into a nice air-conditioned building. God lavishing me is like that times infinity. I walk through a world of dryness. Nothing satiates. Nothing. A world full of mirages that beg me to go further only to deceive me further.

Also what I heard during worship, as I was thanking God for lavishing His grace and love was, “Mephibosheth come out! Mephibosheth come out of hiding! Mephibosheth receive mercy! Mephibosheth come out and know God has a table prepared that you can and will sit at for eternity. Mephibosheth, I love you and desire to show you all the mercy, grace, and love that you need and even more. Mephibosheth come out of your shame!”

I spoke about Mephibosheth prior to this. It is such a story of honor on how a King seeks out who he can show mercy to as oppose to who he can kill to secure his throne.

We are His children. We are His Bride and sons. We are partakers of all that He is and all that He is not. One spirit with Him. That is why Jesus said, “When you pray say, Our Father.”

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