Above & Beyond

We are all grateful when “heroes” spring into action and sacrifice life & limb in order to help others in times of need.  Our soldiers are publicly awarded for going above and beyond the call of duty when helping their comrades in battle.  Our first responders in the police and fire squads are especially appreciated for their willingness to put their lives on the line during various emergencies.  They all claim that they were just doing their jobs.  But those of us who have received aid through their courageous efforts know differently.  We all appreciate the value of those who go above & beyond the call of duty.

The God we serve has proven time and again that He doesn’t just provide His creatures with what is needed; He always goes way above and far beyond our basic necessities (Ephesians 1:8; 1 John 3:1).  It appears, especially from the Creation account in Genesis 1 & 2 that He really enjoys lavishing His blessings upon His creation in countless and unimaginable ways. 

Just look around at the wondrous variety that nature reveals: He didn’t just make trees, He made all kinds of trees (elm, maple, redwood, cypress, fir).  He didn’t just make vegetable plants, He made multiple types of tomato, potato, pepper, lettuce, and bean plants.  He made a myriad amount of animals; dogs, cats, elephants, monkeys, birds, yes and even bugs.  He made a vast amount of land features; hills, valleys, mountains, plateaus, rivers, seas, and grassy plains.  And just look into the sky on a clear night – what an awesome display of creative genius He portrays in the countless stars, planets, and other cosmic bodies!  God didn’t have to make all of this vast array; but He went above and beyond so that His creatures would not only enjoy the work of His hands, but would also bear witness to His power, and glory, and goodness, and love. 

That’s the God we serve.  That’s the God who loves us and wants us to understand and know Him (Jeremiah 9:23-24).  That’s the God who sacrificed everything in order to redeem us from our sins so we could enjoy His creativity forever.

Can you now see why He would get so upset when we wander away from Him; how can you appreciate and enjoy these blessings without Him?  Can you understand why He gets offended when we give the credit for all of our blessings to ourselves or some other idol; hasn’t He provided all of this so you two could spend some quality time together?  Can you grasp the hurt He feels whenever we return to Him our “leftovers,” or spare change, or only want to do just enough to make Him happy; would you be happy with being just a friend with your significant other? 

Spend the quality time that God craves to enjoy with you.  Notice how awesome our God is that He cares for more than just knowing you exist – He wants to be with you and to love you intimately (see Psalm 8).  Commit to going above & beyond in your walk of faith with Him and be amazed at the amount and variety of blessings He can and will lavish upon you – just because He can.

Doug