It was a long night spent tossing and turning. One of those nights where one thinks of every negative thing that has happened, or could happen, or might happen once in a million years, but still, it might happen!
Every once in awhile I have a night like that and when I wake up the next morning the feelings linger. My tired state of mind often leads me down a road of self-doubt. Self-doubt leads me to God-doubt. Not doubting God’s existence, but rather, doubting that there is a whole lot for God to love about a person such as me.
“For Heaven’s sake Patti,” I say to myself, “you are a 61-year-old women – near old as dirt – who should have a bit more confidence in God’s love for you by now.”
Welcome to FREEDOM FRIDAY – A devotional, emotional, spiritual and sometimes hysterical series that I will be sharing on occasional Fridays, in addition to my regular Old Things New posts. Why? Because though once bound in chains Christ has set me free – FREE to live, to love, to dance, to sing, to be who God created me to be!
After a firm talking-to I give myself a quick kick in the BEE-hind and a reminder from Scripture:
Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! Click To Tweet
It’s true. We are His beloved children. I love the word LAVISH that’s used in The Voice Version of I John 3:1. Some synonyms for the word lavish are: give freely to · spend generously on · bestow on · heap on · shower with.
Can’t you just feel the warm showers of love?
Or maybe not.
How do you view God? Is He a God of wrath and vengeance? Or is He a neutral God who is up there – somewhere – but doesn’t pay much attention to you? Maybe you believe in SCARY God who flashes bolts of lightening from His fingertips and roars with thunderous anger.
Most of us know that our view of God is greatly influenced by the type of earthly father we grew up with. Some of us are lucky enough to have had dads that modeled godly character, offered proper discipline, and loved us well. Others find it difficult to understand the type of love our Papa God has for us.
I’m offering you a very simple post today, but perhaps a post that will help you think differently about God the Father.
In a recent Bible study I was involved in we were given the Bible passage I Cor. 13:4-8 to meditate on, two different ways.
Let’s read it:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Next, we were instructed to go back and replace the words LOVE and IT with the word GOD. Not an unscriptural thing to do since the Bible tells us that God is love (I Jn. 4:8).
Let’s read it again, slowly this time (out loud if you will), really thinking about the words we’re saying:
God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God does not dishonor others, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.
God. Is. Love.
I have no need to expound on that. I hope you’ll take this passage and meditate on exactly what this means to you, right where you are today. If you have had a misconception of who God is I pray that these words of Scripture will speak to your heart just as they did to mine in a time when I most needed to hear them.
He loves you with an everlasting love my friends.
You can believe it!
Oh WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! I almost forgot. If you haven’t already taken my Reader Survey I’d love for you to do so now. It will only take about five minutes and just for taking the time to do this HUGE favor for me you will be entered to win a:
$100 Amazon Gift Card!
Simply take 5 minutes to complete the survey and let me know in the comment section at the end of this post that you’ve completed it! Even if you don’t win please know that I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my dear friends you’ll be 😉
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!
Sunday:
SundaysAtHome, TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays
Monday:
IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired, InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStory, What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses, SittingAmongFriends
Tuesday:
TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CedarHillFarmhouse, TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles, Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story
Wednesday:
SavvySouthernStyle, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday, WriterWednesday
Thursday:
ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner, Thought Provoking Thursday, SincerelyPaulas, ThoughtfulThursday, Tune-inThursday
Friday:
FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration, Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus FreshMarketFriday
Saturday:
FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents, SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet
completed!
Yay! Thank you so much Terry <3
Thanks for your inspiring and edifying blog, Patti. I completed the survey for you.
Thank you very much Lori. I really appreciate it!
Thanks for the opportunity to tell you why and how I enjoy your blog!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to take the survey Rhonda. I appreciate it so very much. <3
I enjoy your blog. You honestly help lift me up. You have kind words from the Lord and stories that help explain the verse. Thanks. I also took your survey. Hope it helps.
Every bit of input I get will help me make my blog better suited to y’all. So THANK YOU Tracy. I appreciate your encouraging words too! <3
Thanks Patti, sometimes we need reminding.
Yes, we certainly do need reminding of God’s love for us Marlene. How can we be such a forgetful people? I appreciate you so much and the time you take to leave comments on my blog posts. It keeps me going. Blessings friend <3
Great and inspiring post today Patti. This is one of my favorite “comforting” scriptures…especially when substituting God for the word Love.
By the way, I completed the survey a few days ago, but don’t remember if I told you!
Blessings and a great weekend to you
Thank you for doing the survey Sharon. You didn’t tell me but I think I recognized your response from your comments. Tee hee! You have a very recognizable voice m’dear, and an incredible amount of wisdom to share. I still think you should be blogging yourself. Or maybe you want to do some guest posts! I love you my friend <3
I do??? LOL, you better be careful about suggesting that I guest post sometime….I may shock you! Love you back
Come on!
Survey completed
Check! Thank you 🙂
Your post about God was really timely for me. I was taught God was vengeful and this gave me a new perspective.
Yay! I’m so happy my post came at the right time for you Linda. God understands our weaknesses and has such grace toward us when we can’t seem to forgive ourselves. Thank you for taking the survey 🙂
Oh my soul needed this. XO
So did I when I wrote it Jen. We so often write to ourselves don’t we? Thanks friend.
I love that word too, Patti: “lavish.”
It describes God in so many ways.
Took your survey, but can’t recall where I follow you, so gotta go check it out!
Ahhh, thank you Michele. I really appreciate your taking the time to fill our my survey. May God’s lavish love be poured out in your heart today <3
Thank you for this encouraging post and reminder of how lavish God’s love is. I’m an occasional visitor here, usually through one of the link-ups, but always enjoy stopping by so I filled out your survey. Have a blessed week!
Thank you for taking the survey sweet Kym! Blessing to you 🙂
God is love. It’s a simple truth, but a profound one that takes us a lifetime to fully grasp! I’m still learning too. I often wake up from a bad dream and it’s hard to shake it off, but remembering that God is love is a helpful tool. Thanks, Patti!
“God is love” really IS a simple truth isn’t it? Why do we so easily forget that? Thank you for your comment Lisa. You are a great encourager.
I absolutely love what you’re sharing about God’s love. It had never occurred to me to replace the “love” scriptures with God’s name. That’s so powerful. Thanks so much for reminding me of his love! Happy to have found your blog today on the RaRa linkup from Purposeful Faith. 🙂
I so glad you came over from the link up Laura! This was powerful to me too and came right at a time when I most needed it. Thanks for taking the time to come by and comment. I’ve visited your blog too and left a comment there.
What an inspirational message this morning Patti!!
And don’t we all question ourselves at times?? I don’t think we’d be human otherwise!!
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
#TuneInThursday
Yes we do Jodie! Thank you for reading and coming by to let me know it spoke to you 🙂
Thank you for today inspiration! I can so relate to this….It was truly written for me this day.
I’m so happy to hear that my post spoke to you today Kim. I’m happy to pass on something that meant a lot to me as well.
Hello! It’s my first visit to your blog – thanks to the link-up! I completed the survey. I enjoyed your post. I look forward to sharing your post and the “exercise” God is love! I love this passage!
Thank you so much Robin. I’m happy you found me too and I hope you’ll come back to see me again! Blessings 🙂