http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+31:3&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1:3&version=NIV1984
There are many conceptions of what God is like. The Bible alternately portrays Him as a King, Father, Shepherd, Judge and a Consuming Fire, just to name a few. And there are the conceptions that we, as humans, have. That He is a police officer, with arms folded, just waiting to catch us doing something wrong. Or that He is some sort of Heavenly Grandfather who winks at sin and accepts everybody, no matter what they do. (Both of these are actually misconceptions.) Well for the past few days I have developed my own conception of God. That He is like a grandmother. Yes, a grandmother. Let me explain.
My wife is a grandmother. (Never thought I’d be married to one of them!) As such, she loves our grandchildren. We are very blessed by God to have all 5 of our grandchildren near. They all live less than 2 miles from us. And we get to see them almost every day. In fact, Beth watches them at our house 4 to 5 days a week. They eat lunch with us, occasionally they stay for supper, and then we see them at church on Sundays and Wednesday nights. Again, we are very blessed! Now to the grandmother part.
Since the grandchildren stay over our house so much this involves buying food for them to eat. And snacks. Juice and flavored water. Then there are wipes. And diapers for the young ones. On top of this are high chairs. And booster seats. And car seats. Not to mention all of the toys that we now have at our house. Building blocks. Plastic tools. Dolls. Stuffed animals. A play kitchen. And a grill. Three small cars. All kinds of sports stuff - plastic bats, balls, bowling pins, you name it. Then there are the DVD’s. Veggie Tales. The Super Friends. The Wiggles. Franklin. And let’s not forget the clothes. Or the sneakers. Or the coats. All of this stuff and more was purchased by Beth. For the grandchildren. This doesn’t count periodically taking them out to Costco for lunch. Or to MacDonald’s for a meal. Nor does this factor in birthdays. Or Christmas and Easter. It doesn’t matter when or where Beth goes to the store, she is incapable of coming home without buying something for the grandchildren! Why? Because she loves them. Not only does she take care of their every need she likes to give them some extras. Things that she knows they will like. Things that will make them happy. This is why I say that God is like a grandmother.
In Philippians 4:19, a verse I shared at our Leadership Team retreat last night, we are told, “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” In other words, as Christians, any need that we might have in this life God will take care. Food. Clothing. Shelter. Companionship. Strength. Comfort. Peace. Guidance. The list is pretty long. But the fact is that God never stops at just meeting our needs. Heavens no! (I thought that this phrase really applied here!) The truth is that God always go over and beyond. He meets a lot of our wants and desires in addition to our needs. An unexpected bonus or raise. A smoking-hot deal on a vehicle. New relationships. Good health. An all-expenses- paid vacation. You name it. All kinds of extras. Little perks. Why? Because God loves us. He thinks of us all the time and He can’t resist blessing us. Not always because we deserve it. But just because He wants to.So I am glad for the picture of God that I have right in my own house. For a grandmother who would do almost anything for her grandchildren. Now if I can just get into the action a little I think I’d be happy as well!
Father, I thank you that You care for me. 24/7/365. It shows that You are always thinking about me. Not only this, You are constantly coming up with new ways to bless me. Little surprises here and there that make my day. Things that bring a smile to my face. That make me feel loved and treasured. How generous You are! Thank you, thank you, thank you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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