Big Love
Hey there, friend, I see you wanderin’ up like you just heard somethin’ rustlin’ in the bushes, and I’m glad you made your way over here. Go on and settle yourself in this lawn chair under the pecan tree right next to this ol’ front porch. I’ve been sittin’ here watchin’ a lil’ ol’ bluejay fussin’ at a curious lil’ woodpecker that got a lil’ bit too nosey near his nest. It plum reminded me that sometimes love makes a whole lot of noise when it’s protectin’ what really matters. And that there brings us right on over to 1 John 3:1, which says, “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are.” Now that there’s a truth worth hollerin’ from the barn rooftops.
John must’ve been about to burst with joy when he wrote that verse. You can almost hear him say, “Y’all, look at this. Really look.” He wanted us to stop long enough to sho’-nuff’ notice the real big size of God’s love. It plum ain’t no polite little love. Not a halfhearted love either. A love so doggone big it makes your heart plum git to feelin’ like a wide open field after a refreshing, spring rain. And to help us git to graspin’ it even better, let’s weave in Romans 8:16, which tells us that the Spirit Himself testifies that we are God’s children. That there means God doesn’t just call us His children. He plum confirms it right deep down inside us.
John points out four things. First, “how very much.” God’s love is deeper than any well you’ve ever tried to draw from. Second, “our.” John is not talkin’ about some distant deity sittin’ on a cloud. He’s talkin’ about our Father. Third, “Father.” Not the kind that forgets your birthday or wanders off like a lil’ ol’ goat that found a hole in the fence. He’s real faithful, steady, and kind. And fourth, He just flatly “loves” us. Not in theory. Not in polite Sunday school language. He loves us with a great big kind of love that plum changes everything.
And friend, if John’s words in 1 John 3:1 weren’t enough to make your heart do a cartwheel, then, go ahead and take a lil’ ol’ look at Zephaniah 3:17. It says, “The Lord your God is right there in your midst, rejoicing over you with gladness and quieting you with His love.” Now that there’s not the behavior of a distant deity sittin’ high up on a cloud somewhere. That’s the tender, joyful love of a Father that plum delights in His children the way a mama cow delights when her lil’ baby calf finally figures out how to stand steady on its lil’ wobbly legs. God doesn’t just tolerate you. He plum sings over you. He celebrates you. He stays close enough to quiet your heart when life starts kickin’ like an ol’ onery mule that missed its breakfast.
When you know someone loves you, you trust ‘em. You want to be near ‘em. You want to share life with ‘em. And, friend, when you grasp that God calls you His child, it sho’-nuff’ shifts your whole world. You ain’t forgotten. You ain’t overlooked. You ain’t just barely tolerated. You are purely loved beyond measure.
Father, thank You for lovin’ me and callin’ me Your child. Let Your love settle deep in my heart and guide my thoughts today. Help me live like someone who knows they belong to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well now, there you have it, friend. As you ramble on back into the doin’s of your wide world, you gotta be holdin’ this here truth mighty close. God’s love ain’t real flimsy like a lil’ ol’ scarecrow that tips over in the wind. It’s plum strong enough to be steadyin’ you when life gits to kickin’ like a stubborn ol’ mule. It’s surely gentle enough to be liftin’ you when you feel small as a lil’ ol’ field mouse peekin’ out from the grass. It’s personal enough to be remindin’ you that you’re not just part of a crowd. You’re His beloved child, and that’s exactly who you are.
With joy,
Gwen
