“God, Jesus, and the Coronavirus” Bible Study for Children with Free Printables

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Can children feel secure in unsafe and threatening circumstances?  They can if we point them in the right direction by opening up God’s Word with them. 

My 10-year-old grandson had been feeling a little anxious recently over the overnight changes to life as we know it due to the coronavirus.  We haven’t been able to see each other recently due to self-isolation, but I wanted to reach out to him and provide comfort, so I held a  Bible study with him over Skype. Thank you, God, for technology!  I titled the study, What Does the Coronavirus Have to do With You, God and Jesus?   

My grandson and I very much enjoyed our time together as well as our Bible study.  By the time we hung up, his precious little soul was feeling refreshed, a little more secure, hopeful, and peaceful.  I thought it would be nice to share what we talked about and the scriptures we turned to, to hear what God’s Word had to say about it.  Perhaps some of it can be helpful for you in speaking with your child/grandchild about the coronavirus. I titled the Bible Study, 

This study doesn’t have to be done in one sitting.  Ir can be broken down over 2 or even 3 parts if you’d prefer. I’ve also included free printable coloring pages and scripture cards for your youngster at the end of the study.  

                     What Does the Coronavirus have to do With You, God and Jesus?

For the foundation of our study, we read about who God says He is in Exodus 34:5,6.  The common thread throughout our Bible study was God’s characteristics based on Exodus 34:5,6, His power over everything and His love for us that is faithful and never-ending.

In the beginning, we discussed the reality of what we are experiencing as a world.  We talked about:

• How sickness is changing how people live all over the world and that our leaders are concerned about the coronavirus because it is so contagious and some people will die from it, but that the virus hasn’t badly affected young children, and that we are all working together to try and keep everyone safe.
• The challenges of quarantine, self-isolation, and social distancing and the importance of practicing an attitude of gratitude every day, even for the smallest of things.  I suggested to him that every day upon awakening and going to bed at night, he writes down one thing that he is grateful for and keeps the list visible throughout the day.
• The importance of practicing good hygiene, getting proper rest and eating healthy and how it can help fight off illness.
• The coronavirus is NOT in command, but God is!

In the next part of our Bible study, we dug into God’s Word to read about God’s power and control over all creation. We read about His power over:

• Sickness/diseases–Matthew 4:24
• Wind, rain, and snow–Mark 4:39, Jeremiah 51:16, Job 5:10, Job 37:6
• Sea and fish–Exodus 14:21, Jonah 1:17
• Plants–Genesis 1:11-13, Psalm 104:14
• Bugs–Psalm 105:31,34, Exodus 8:24
• Birds and frogs–1 Kings 17:4, Job 39:27-29, Exodus 8:5,6

Job 12:7-11 sums it up greatly. “But ask the animals and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”  All of creation does what God says!

We also discussed the fact that:

• Because God made the world and everything in it, it is His world. He does what He wants to do with the world and everything in it, including His most precious and loved creation, mankind.  Even when the world seems a little crazy or out of control, Isaiah 54:10 says, “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord who has compassion on you.”  We talked about the definition of compassion which is to have sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.  In other words, God cares and is concerned about our sufferings such as sickness and sadness.
• “God works all things according to His will” (Ephesians 1:11)  That means that no one or anything tells God what to do, including the coronavirus.  He made the world, He keeps it going and He has plans for it.
• God’s plans are always wise and that we don’t know why there is a coronavirus, but God does.  And we know by what God’s word says that He could make it go away in an instant, just by snapping His fingers.  The time will come when God will make it go away. We don’t know when, but God, who loves us does know.
• God works in mysterious ways that we don’t understand because we are not as wise as He is.  Sometimes the things God allows to happen don’t make sense to us, but that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love us or that He isn’t a good God.  He is the same God always, no matter what our circumstances are. 

We thought about the question, “Why doesn’t God just take it away right now?”  to which my grandson replied, “He has a plan and a way for everything to work out in the long run.”  My grandson is right! God does have a plan, a good and wise plan for the world!   We know God could take it away this very second, but God has wise purposes for it and He is much wiser than we are.  He knows and sees way more than we ever could.  He knows what needs to be fixed in this broken world and how to do it.

We also talked about the question, “What does God want more than anything for everyone in the world?” 

• He wants everyone to know, love and worship only Him–Luke 4:8, Psalm 95:6, 1 Chron. 16:25
• He wants people to turn to Him and be saved–Isaiah 45:22, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 3:9
• He wants people to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior–Philippians 2:9-11

God is more concerned about our souls than He is about how comfortable we always are here on earth. He is more concerned about how we will be forever than how we will be for a short period of time.

We then chatted about the pride of man and how God wants people to stop thinking that they are bigger, stronger, and smarter than God and that they are in control because they are not. That’s called pride. People are full of pride. Pride makes us trust ourselves and not God. It makes us try to take God’s place or live our lives without God and God knows that this will hurt us. God’s word tells us, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”  Psalm 118:8. 

We discussed how people tend to forget about God when things are good and that’s our fault, not God’s.  Often times it isn’t until things that we think are more important than they really are, are taken away that we begin to look to God for comfort, hope, and to meet our needs.

I ended by reminding my grandson that we are weak but God is strong.  We can be brave during the coronavirus because our God who loves us, our best friend Jesus, is strong and wise!  He is strong and wise enough to make everything, even the coronavirus, turn out for our good if we trust Him! Romans 8:28. When we trust God we need not fear nor worry.

We ended our Bible study by reading verses about trusting God:

• Joshua 1:9
• Psalm 13:5
• Psalm 31:14
• Psalm 56:3
• Proverbs 3:5-6

And fear and worry:

• 1 Peter 5:7
• Philippians 4:6-7
• Isaiah 41:13
• Psalm 23:4a
• Isaiah 43:1
• Joshua 1:92
• 2 Timothy 1:7
• Deuteronomy 31:6

Click on the links below for your free coloring pages and scripture cards!

 

God is Our Refuge coloring page

God is Love coloring page

The Lord is With Me coloring page

Do Not Fear scripture cards

Fill In Gratitude List

 

God’s Life-Giving Gifts Through a Deadly Virus

 

                                                                           God’s Perfect Timing     

A pandemic smack dab in the middle of Lent!  Uncanny, right?  During lent believers are called upon to reflect, repent, and recognize God and His place in our lives. We’re encouraged to spend more time in God’s Word, and prayer. We give thanks during this season and recognize God’s provision in our lives as we prepare to celebrate the ultimate sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Some forgo the option of Lent because of a disbelief in God and others because life’s distractions are allowed to get in the way.  Yet here we are, stripped of many of those distractions. Things we tend to idolatrize such as our economy, sports, money, jobs, entertainment, and casinos, are unavailable to us. Our health and the health of our loved ones which we often take for granted is being threatened.  Essentials like toilet paper and hand sanitizer have become a sought after commodity.

Countless people have been forced to stay home with their children with the shutting down of public and private school systems and daycare centers.  Numerous families thrust together, holed up in their homes day after day and scores of families such as mine, separated due to quarantines and self-isolation/social distancing.  We have no idea when this is going to end and what the long-lasting repercussions will be.  For everyone, life as we know it has come to a screeching halt.

The dictionary definition of the word halt means; to bring or come to an abrupt stop. Demand or order a stop. Is it possible that God has demanded or ordered that we come to a complete stop of what we’re doing? Perhaps this coronavirus outbreak, it’s repercussions, and the battle against it that is ensuing is an incredible blessing, a gift from God.

                                                     

                                                       A Gift Needs to be Opened. 

There is no doubt in my mind that God in His love and mercy is giving us an opportunity to be blessed mightily through the crisis known as the Coronavirus Pandemic. But these opportunities can only be blessings if we embrace these opportunities put before us while we have the chance. What are a small few of these blessings and opportunities?

• Many parents now have more time with their children and vice versa.  They now possess more precious time to love and hug them more and to teach them the love and forgiveness of God, to influence them toward Christ.  Families may have more time to spend just being and connecting, not always doing.
• Many have more time and more reason than ever to reflect and pray about how we have been living our lives, our relationship with God and others.
• For families quarantined or self-isolating together, we have more opportunities for closeness, to practice patience and forgiveness and giving thanks that we can be together.
• For families who are separated due to quarantine and self-isolation, we are given a new appreciation for each other.
• We have an opportunity to appreciate all the things we have foolishly taken for granted and give thanks and praise to the One who has blessed us with those things.
• The realization of the fragility of life and our lack of control, which pushes us to seek God all the more.  For some, it has pushed them to seek God for the first time.
• For the church, this is our time to shine!   We have been given an enormous opportunity to give those who are anxious and fearful the reason for our hope which is Jesus Christ.  Times like these are perfect for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.  Talk about open doors!  God has flung the doors wide open!!
• This is also a great opportunity to obey the greatest commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves by taking our focus off of ourselves and focus on others in need because it really is better to give than receive.
• For our divided government leaders, this is an occasion to stop the insane divisions, and disagreements and work together for the good of our nation and the world.
• This is a chance to realize that God is our true source of provision and security, not our government, economy or stocks and bank accounts.
• Most importantly, this is an opportunity to see the error of our ways as individuals, a nation, and as a world and repent!

What can you add to this list?  More importantly, will you open these gifts?

 

                                                    God Brings Life Through Death

Some may wonder how this pandemic could ever be a gift when so many are dying.  Many people have lost loved ones to this horrible virus.  My heart and prayers go out to them.  I cannot imagine their pain!

But our priorities and agendas often tend to be different than God’s.  I believe that God’s number one priority in this crisis is for the salvation of souls.  As 2 Peter 3:9 states, God does not want anyone to perish but wants everyone to repent.

In our fallen nature, we have a pitiful habit of relegating God to the backseat when life is easing along to our satisfaction.  For some, He’s not allowed in the car at all. It is when we are in pain and in desperate need that we begin to seek God, the God Who is our Provider, our Comforter, our Source of life.

Pain, heartache, despair, confusion, fear, uncertainty, loss; these are often the driving forces behind our desire to seek out God.  For many of us, it may take death or the threat of death to cause us to seek the Giver of life. God uses death to bring many to life, specifically eternal life!  God having to send His beloved Son Jesus Christ to die so that we might live is the perfect example.  Only God can bring forth life through death.

 

                                                                 Concern vs Worry

There are 2 lanes in the road ahead; the lane of concern and the lane of worry.  Through prayer, Bible reading and time spent with God, I am striving to stay in the concerned lane.  But the worry lane at times seems much more inviting.  At first glance, it seems wider, easier, more comfortable. When I inspect it more closely, however, I can see the lane is thick with muck and mire, and that once I thrust my foot in there, like quicksand it will suck me down into its grasp, making it extremely difficult to near impossible to escape its grasp.

Let’s eagerly seek God’s comfort, assurance, and peace in all of this.  Let’s endeavor to be concerned without fretting. We are commanded in Philippians 4:6,7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  Why?  Because God loves us and wants us to trust Him no matter what the circumstances. His desire is for us to have peace and He made NO exceptions for the situations in which we are to Trust Him.

This is by no means an easy journey we are on right now.  God never promised us an easy time in this broken world.  I struggle at times with what’s happening.  Again, the worry lane can seem more inviting at times, but it’s not the lane God wants us to travel.

When things don’t make sense and we see pain and suffering all around us and on the road ahead, God’s children are strengthened and encouraged in remembering that their loving, merciful, all-knowing, all-encompassing God of the Bible that loves them, can make beauty from ashes, turn a mess into a message, and bring life through death.  God is so good!

                                                               Special Prayers

**First responders, healthcare workers, supermarket employees, and others have been called upon to work longer hours, and have been taken away from their families. But as my husband likes to say, “God is a great multitasker.”  He can bring forth good from the very worst and tragic of situations. He knows the needs of each and every person. He can bring forth blessings in their situations as well through their trust in Him.  Let’s keep these brave men and women in our prayers!

 

 

 

When God’s Children Look Up and Not Around

 

Coronavirus.  Stock market crash.  Death Toll.  Quarantine.  Financial crisis.

Never before have any of us experienced such a life-altering event as we are experiencing amidst the spread of the coronavirus.  We are being bombarded every minute of every day with bad news.  Our health and the health of our loved ones is being threatened by this virus and our global economy and financial well being are threatened as well.

We’ve been thrust into an unwanted new normal at lightning speed.  We feel uncertain about the future.  When that happens, fear and anxiety begin to rear their ugly heads.  Panic sets in.  We begin the desperate search for comfort and security, most often through the stockpiling and hoarding of what we deem as essentials.

The future seems all gloom and doom; the TV, newspapers, radio, email, internet, social media;  everywhere we look around us.

                                                                      STOP!!!!

What if we redirected our gaze?  What if we began looking up more than we looked around? What if we fixed our gaze heavenward?  Amidst all the chaos and uncertainty have we stopped to remember that we have a Heavenly Father who is firmly seated on His throne as the sovereign Ruler of the universe?

This virus may have caught us by surprise, but it has not caught God by surprise!  He knew it was coming all along.  He knew the day.  He knew the time.  He knows what the final death toll will be.  He knows the cure.  He knows how we are feeling.  He sees our struggles.  Yes.  God knows the what, when, where, and how.

More importantly, He knows the “why.”  “Why is this happening?” we wonder.  Yet, there are many things in this world that we have no answers to, and why we’re dealing with an invisible enemy like the coronavirus is one of them. Only God knows why and He owes us no explanation.  He does expect us to trust Him though.  He expects us to trust in who He is.

                                                                     Who is He?

In the book of Exodus, Moses asks God to display His glory. “Then Moses said, ‘I pray You, show me Your glory!'”  Exodus 33:18.  God honored Moses’ request, but instead of a stupendous display of His power and majesty, God spoke to Moses of His name, His character.  “Then the Lord passed by in front of Him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.'” Exodus 34:6.

What God did before Moses was to share His nature.  Compassion, grace, patience, lovingkindness, and truth; are not merely traits that God possesses, they are who He is!.  They are His core nature!  The sovereign God of the universe who, as the Creator of heaven and earth, the Creator of you and me, has the absolute right and full authority to do or allow whatever He desires.  When things are at their worst, God is still a kind, loving, compassionate, gracious, slow to anger God!  He wants us to trust in who He says He is.  He has earned our trust.  He deserves our trust.

                                                            Trusting in What or Who?

Unfortunately, we finite human beings’ love control.  So much so, that we have allowed ourselves to live our lives under the illusion that we are in control.  We have placed ourselves in a bubble of false security and comforts through money, possessions, science and technology, and our human relationships, just to mention a few.  Now an invisible enemy has crept in and popped our little bubbles, and our security and comforts are being threatened on a global level.  We’ve taken so much stock in these perishable, unreliable things, yet we’ve failed to trust in the infinite living God as our source of provision, protection, knowledge, and security.

                                                             Who Holds the Future?

There is a lot of talk about an uncertain future because of the coronavirus. The reality is, our future is uncertain every second of every day.   We don’t know what the future holds and we are not guaranteed tomorrow or even the next minute. That can be unnerving.

But for those of us who know God because of God’s grace through our belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we have hope.  We can have peace in the midst of uncertainty.  A peace that comes not because of what God can do, because as we know, all things are possible with God.  “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” Luke 1:37.  But we have peace, comfort, and security because the God of Exodus 34:6 loves us and has promised to never forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

We may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future.

So look up and not around, for ’tis there Your Savior will be found.            

 

** Would you like to know more about God?  Maybe you’re not sure if there really is a God or how He can help you?  The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has a great website called Peace With God which can help you find peace with God today.  If you’d like to know God and find His peace today, click on the link  here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Freedom from Worry, Anxiety, and Stress

“In His defense, Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at work to this very day and I too am working.'”  John 5:17

My husband is a carpenter. He’s in the business of making homes beautiful. On rare occasions, our own home reaps the benefits of his talents.  When Hubby began the long-overdue task of remodeling our worn-out kitchen, I was anxious and excited for the project to be finished. In the meantime, I had to live with complete and utter chaos in my kitchen.

I came home from work one night, fully expecting to see the new cupboards up on the walls.  My expectations were shattered! What had he been doing all night while I was at work?

In my anger and disappointment,  I torpedoed a rapid-fire succession of questions mingled with complaints at my poor husband, demanding to know why he was taking so long and insinuating that he wasn’t doing anything.

Although hurt by my childish outburst,  Hubby graciously explained how he’d been working replacing old plumbing lines and updating the electric behind where the cupboards would go in order to install the ceiling fan (that I had forgotten) I wanted.  He’d also cleaned and caulked inside the bottom cabinets to make them look better and help to guard against destructive mice.

My cheeks burned. I’d hastily assumed nothing was being accomplished because I saw no outwardly visible progress when in truth, my husband was working nonstop, accomplishing much more than I had imagined.

How often do we make the very same assumptions about God?  Hard seasons of life overwhelm us. We’re crippled by anxiety, worry and stress as our trials appear insurmountable, our circumstances unchanging.  Our desperate prayers seem to be bouncing off a thick concrete barrier.   We see no visible signs of God working on our behalf.

Yet, God’s Word assures us that our Heavenly Father and Jesus are always working on our behalf.  In the gospel of John, the Pharisees were outraged that Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, their day of rest. How did Jesus, the Master Carpenter respond? John 5:17 reads, “In His defense, Jesus said,  ‘My Father is always at work to this very day and I too am working.'”

As we’re crying out, “Where are you, God?” He’s tirelessly working behind the scenes on needs that we may not realize we have.  Perhaps He’s preparing us for something new or filling in cracks that need filling.  Maybe He’s readying us for blessings that we’ve forgotten we wanted or preparing someone to enter our life who will encourage and bless us.

Believing our God is never at rest relieves us of worry, anxiety, and stress.  Because He is never at rest, we can rest. We can’t see it but He’s there. He’s working.  2 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that “we walk by faith, not by sight” and Hebrews 11:1 says,  “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  So dear reader, be anxious for nothing.  Rest peacefully in the assurance that beyond what your eyes see,  God is always working, accomplishing much more than you can imagine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Does it Mean to Settle Into God?

I recently heard someone say that we should “settle into God.” I’d never heard that before. I liked the thought of it, but I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant so I looked up the phrase ‘settle into.’

What I thought would be a quick little glance at the definitions of a couple of words, ended up being an eye-opening, uplifting, morning-long journey for me as I realized how overflowing with meaning and purpose those two simple words were.

Ready for an inspiring word study? As you read the following word definitions and their synonyms, allow them to sink down deep into your heart.

Definition of ‘settle into’ and it’s synonyms:

Get to know, to become familiar with a new way of life, place or job.

To adjust, get used to a new situation by changing your ideas or the way you do things.

To gradually feel that something is normal or natural

To make yourself comfortable in a place because you are going to be there for a long time.

I then looked up the word comfortable and it’s synonyms. It’s described as this:

Comfortable:

To be free from stress or fear, not in pain, physically relaxed and free from constraint. Also; at ease, restful, relaxed, secure, safe, unworried, contented.

A word study wouldn’t be complete without applying what we’ve learned to our lives. Below are some ways in which we can learn to settle into God.

Get to know Him more. How? Through prayer, worship and His word, this will help you to become more familiar with who He is. Ask God for help in changing your thinking patterns. Adjust to His way of thinking. A new way of thinking leads to changes in your ideas and the way you do things. Your new way of thinking will gradually feel normal or natural. You will be settled into a new way of thinking, God’s way of thinking.

Finally, make yourself comfortable in His presence. Know that He is with you wherever you go. You never leave His presence even though you may not feel His presence at times. In His presence, you can find freedom from stress or fear. When feelings of stress and fear subside, you’ll begin to feel more at ease, restful, secure, safe, unworried and content. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” Matthew 11:25-30

Know that God longs to be with you not just now, but for eternity. So you might as well settle into Him and get comfortable in His presence because you are going to be there for a long time!

Does Your Heart Need to be Pierced?

Are you weary?  Do you feel burned out by the business of life?  Have you lost your zeal for Christ or the gratitude for your salvation? Perhaps your heart has hardened and you don’t even realize it.

Mine had. I was totally unaware.

Looking and praying for that to change, I began to read Ephesians chapter 1 verses 1-14 while asking the Holy Spirit to pierce my heart with the reality of what God has done for me through His son Jesus. It greatly helped me as I read the scripture verses where the pronouns “we” or “us” were used, to replace the words with “me” or “I”.

This is how I read the verses.  Blessed be the God and Father of my Lord and Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose me in Him before the foundation of the world, that I would be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined me to adoption as a daughter through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on me in the Beloved. In Him, I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of my trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on me. In all wisdom and insight, He made known to me the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him………In Him also I have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will. In Him, I also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of my salvation – having also believed, I was sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of my inheritance until I acquire possession of it with to the praise of His glory.

Now, lets really, really mull over the incredible richness of what this is saying. The verses are written in purple.  It starts out by blessing the Lord, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”……..The supreme duty of creation is to give praise and to commend our God. “Who has blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”……….I’ve been blessed! I’ve been given complete and total blessing by the total source of all blessings, God, through the realm of God’s complete heavenly domain thanks to Christ. “Just as He chose me in Him before the foundation of the world”…….. Wow!! God was thinking about me, making plans for me first, before He created the world! His concern for me was more important than His creation of this magnificent world! I came first! “That I would be holy and blameless before Him;” God chose me, an unrighteous and unworthy sinner to stand before Him and be declared holy, righteous, and worthy of His salvation! “In love, He predestined me to adoption as a daughter through Christ Jesus to Himself”……….. God’s reason for choosing me? Love. There was nothing in me to make Him want to choose me, nothing but sin. My salvation, my being made God’s daughter, is all about His love and grace, nothing else. What a humbling, wonderful feeling it is to be loved that much! No one here on this earth could ever begin to love me that much! Again, all of this is through Jesus Christ. It is He, who through His atoning death made this possible. Thank you, Jesus! “According to the kind intention of His will, to the praise and glory of His grace”.……..Again, it was God’s kindness, it was His will for me to be saved. I had nothing to do with it. That is why it’s to the praise and glory of His grace. If I at all had a part in it, if my salvation in any way shape or form was dependent upon me, then I guess I could receive some of the credit, right? But no! That’s why it’s to the praise and glory of His grace. God gets all the praise and glory! It was His grace, His unmerited favor, a complete and total gift!

Is your heart being pierced yet? Is the enormity of God’s love and amazing grace leaving you awestruck? Let’s dissect some more of these amazing verses. “Which He freely bestowed on me in the Beloved. In Him, I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of my trespasses”……Again, I am reminded of Jesus’ tremendous sacrifice, the total emptying of Himself through the shedding of His precious blood in order to cover for my sins. Jesus paid the price that I was supposed to pay for my sins so that I would be forgiven! Forgiveness was freely bestowed on me in the beloved Jesus Christ! “According to the riches of His grace which He lavished on me”……These are the only kind of riches we should want or need, the riches of God’s grace, His unmerited favor. There is absolutely nothing I could ever do to earn even a tiny fragment of God’s grace. Not only has God lovingly and mercifully shown me grace, but His word says that He lavished it on me!! Wow!! To lavish means to bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities upon. God has been extravagant in the grace that He has chosen to bestow upon me! “In all wisdom and insight, He made known to me the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him”.…..God has also freely bestowed upon me in Christ Jesus, wisdom and insight as to His will for my salvation and for the church. How? Through the illumination of His Word with the help of the Holy Spirit who now dwells within me, another free gift of God through Christ Jesus. God shares with believers His purpose for our salvation and His purpose for His church. “In Him also I have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will”.…..Through Jesus, I have obtained a divine inheritance that is so much more than any earthly inheritance I could ever want or hope for. This inheritance is eternal and filled with an abundance of God’s riches. This divine inheritance is so certain that it is spoken of as if it has already been obtained! God set this in motion before the foundation of the world and in His sovereignty is working all things according to His will, including my salvation, my inheritance! “In Him, I also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of my salvation-having also believed, I was sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of my inheritance until I acquire possession of it to the praise of His glory.”  God’s word says that after I heard the message of salvation and I, in faith, believed in Him (that faith is also a gift from God, lest I should boast. Ephesians 2:8,9), that He sealed me with His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given as a pledge of my inheritance. Not only did God, through His amazing grace save me, but He gave me the Holy Spirit to guide me so that my salvation should never be lost! I am forever sealed as God’s own! I know that if left up to me, I would lose my salvation. In my sinfulness, I would surely mess it up! But God in His infinite love and wisdom has taken care to make sure that I will always be His! All this is to the praise of His glory!

God is good. He’s good when I don’t deserve it. I will never be able to fully grasp the measure of His love, mercy, and grace. How deep, how wide, how infinite. There is nothing more humbling than God’s unmerited favor upon my eternal soul. Oh, how I long for the realization of what He has done to sink in more!

My friend, if you are a true believer, these verses apply to you just as much as they do to me! Does your heart need to be pierced? If so, perhaps you’ll consider joining me in the practice of daily reading and inserting yourself in these rich and powerful verses. It will make a difference in your heart and in your thinking.