God our dear father has placed a huge box in front of us. It is a shiny gold box, quite large, with a royal red bow carefully and lovingly tied to it. It’s one of those beautiful fancy bows. Our father is eager and expectant in his anticipation, giddy as he waits for us to unwrap the gift. Using Father Greg Boyle’s words, God can’t wait to “measure our delight.” As we peek into the box, we’ll be floored by an untamable never-ending joy. We will with our father throw our heads back in delight, mouths agape with the laughter of joy and goodness. Laughter will wrack our bodies, our bellies will quake, mouths will hurt from the perpetual grin, and tears will stream out of our eyes because of his almost incredible goodness to us. We can barely believe it, but it’s true. This is the way of our God, our Father. And this gift is not just for the life to come.
The gift is sitting before us. We can unwrap it moment by moment.
Contemplate the image, the image of our giddy joyful father full of expectation, waiting for us to open the gift of eternal life.Can you see the delight in his eyes?
Remember what he said to the older brother in the story of the prodigal? “All that I have is yours.” He is our father. Everything he has is ours. Are we immersing ourselves in all that is ours, using it, relishing it, delighting in it? In 2 Peter 1 he tells us that he has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
God is not stiff, cold, stingy, or uncaring. He is our father whose love for us makes him giddy with joy because he delights in us so. He provides.
Receive the gift of eternal life (life now and forevermore) and all its implications–the fruits of the Spirit–justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 4:17b).
Receive his gift and provision.
The gift of abudant eternal life.