Lavished with gravy (originally posted May 3, 2005)

In I John 3:1, the Bible says that God “bestowed” or “lavished” His love on us. I like to think of it in terms of food. One of my favorite places to eat is “Cracker Barrel”. When I go to Cracker Barrel, I almost always order the same thing...country fried steak and mashed potatoes (with a side order of okra and fried apples).

As the waitress takes my order I will ask for gravy on my steak and potatoes. I will emphasize that I would like extra gravy. I want to make sure that she realizes that I want lots and lots of gravy. I will implore her to use so much gravy that she will have to struggle to keep the food from swimming right off the plate. You see, I don’t just want some gravy. I don’t just want extra gravy. I want my food “lavished” with gravy.

In the very same way, that is what God did. He didn’t just love us. He didn’t just give us some extra loving. He lavished His love on us. But God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died in our place. I John 3:1 goes on and says that He loves us so much that He made us children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

During the JKF administration, the story is told that one day JFK was in a high level meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This was a very tense time in American history. The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs were very real threats to world peace. As JFK was in this very tense and very important meeting, his young son “John-John” came bounding down the hall of the West Wing. He ran right past cabinet members; right past secretaries; right past marine guards and even secret service agents with bazookas hidden under their coats. He burst into the Oval Office and leaped into the lap of the President of the United States. JFK immediately turned his attention away from the most powerful military minds in the world and focused his attention completely on this little boy.

Now why could “John-John” do that? Why couldn’t “Scott-Scott” do that? The answer is simple. “John-John” had significance. “John-John” was the son of the President.

In a very real way that is exactly what we can do with God. Anytime we wish we can run down the celestial halls of heaven through prayer. We can run past Old Testament heroes and past angelic honor guards. We can run right into God’s throne room and leap into the lap of our Heavenly Daddy and the God of all creation will focus His attention directly on us. When was the last time you crawled up into your Heavenly Daddy’s lap and talked with Him? When was the last time you crawled up into your Heavenly Daddy’s lap and laughed with Him? When was the last time you crawled up into your Heavenly Daddy’s lap and sang to Him? When was the last time you crawled up into your Heavenly Daddy’s lap and cried with Him? When was the last time you crawled up into your Heavenly Daddy’s lap and just sat there, being still and knowing that He is indeed God.

“See how great a love the Father has lavished on us, that we would be called children of God and such we are!” (I John 3:1)