My favorite subject—the Generosity of God

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever…. As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.” “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” Ps. 103:8,9,13,1.

“I the Lord thy God am a jealous God,…shewing mercy unto thousands of [generations] of them that love Me.” Ex. 20:5,6. Part of one of the Ten Commandments, this is perpetually inscribed in stone. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and for ever.” Heb. 13:8.

Grace: undeserving, unwarranted special favor; limitless love. Generosity and deserving have nothing to do with each other. Generosity is blind to anything in return, except love. It hopes for everything, it bears up under anything, endures all things. Generosity never fails. God is a source of love and giving who never can stop, because that is what He is. He is love. This is why the creation surrounding Him can never rest from saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty.” Rev. 4:8.

“The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin.” Ex. 34:6,7.

Abundant: marked by great plenty; amply supplied; abounding. Abounding: to be present in great quantity; to become copiously supplied. Every one of us, good or bad, is copiously supplied; God never stops giving. That is what he is—the great gift Giver. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Rom. 5:20. “He giveth more grace.” Jas. 4:6. “I came that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good Shepherd.” Jn. 10:10,11.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Jn. 3:16.

“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name; which were born, not of blood [our first birth], nor of the will of the flesh [by our own willpower], nor of the will of man [by anyone forcing us], but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth…, and of His fullness have we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, and grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Jn. 1:11-14,16,17. “Grace for grace.” Its by beholding His grace that we become changed into the same image. (2Cor. 3:18.)

There is one addiction authorized in the Bible. “I beseech you brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.)” 1Cor. 16:15. That addiction is the very character of God. He is addicted to giving and serving. He cannot stop!

God does have His laws, He has requirements, but they, also, are good to us. Everything God does displays His character. An artist paints as a way to express her or himself. God creates for the same reason. Nature abounds with a multitude of species. And in every Tulip, every Redbud tree, every graceful deer, every powerful lion, is an expression of Himself and His giving nature. His laws are also an expression—an expression of His character—purity, and unchanging unselfish love. Without sin or Satan, His laws would have been able to keep us from ever leaving Him. (Gal. 3:21) They are ever only beneficial to us in every way. Of themselves they would have kept us drawn to Him. They tell of a wonderful Father who loves to be near us and serve us and desires us to love and serve each other.

“An enemy hath done this.” Matt. 13:28. But God has an enemy who works feverishly to subvert every good thing He has tried to do for us. God’s adversary takes everything our loving Father has done for us and used it all to turn us against Him. It’s the devil, not God, who says, “If you don’t do what I say, you’ll be sorry! I will make sure you suffer. I have my ways!” Its the devil who uses badgering, needling, torturing, while someone who knew the Lord says, “He will not always chide.” Ps. 103:9. The devil uses guilt, but the Lord promises to cast our sins into the depths of the sea. (Mic. 7:19). The devil loves to control and manipulate, but Jesus says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Jn. 8:36. The devil loves to discredit and to gossip; God says, “Come now, let us reason together,” just you and Me. Is. 1:18. Satan loves revenge. Of Jesus it is written, “When He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously; who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Pet. 2:23,24.

“Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace.” Job 22:21. God agonizes when we don’t spend time with Him. He knows we endanger ourselves while we stay away. He yearns for our response to His constant care. He knows that if we will just come to Him, be near Him, and become acquainted with Him, we will love Him, and want to obey Him. Being near Him and spending time communing with Him is the big test. We can’t make ourselves sorry for sin. And He knows this perfectly well. “The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Rom. 2:4. He never coldly commands anything, especially, “Say you’re sorry!” He knows that can’t work, because He hasn’t made a single creature that operates that way. All His creation obey because their obedience is only a response to a love they see always freely flowing from Him. The gifts and invitation of God are without repentance. (Rom. 11:29).

So His big test to us comes with communion. Do we love to commune with Him? Do we desire a better communion with Him; do we find ourselves meditating on His character and talking about His love? “Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you.” Matt. 7:21-23. Only those who spend the time getting to know God, becoming acquainted with a Father friend who will never fail us, will find the secret to life, and the secret to obedience.

“The Spirit and the bride say, Come. Let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” Rev. 22:17.