Overcoming Lies About GodSample

God Is Gracious, Present, and Loving

God is not distant. He is present and personal. God is omnipresent—He is in all places at all times. He is with you in your suffering, when you’re anxious or depressed, and even when you sin in ways you promised yourself you’d never sin again. You can’t outrun God, escape His goodness, or cause Him to walk away or turn His back on you. He invites us to address Him as Abba, the Aramaic equivalent of Daddy or Dada. The God of the universe needs nothing from us, yet He invites us to have an intimate relationship with Him.

In God, we find our greatest source of wholeness and joy. What’s amazing about God is that He loved us first. He didn’t wait for us to clean up our act, meet His expectations, or make Him proud; He simply loved us. God is not the kind of father who has trouble hugging His child or saying, “I love you.” He’s not the kind of father who has more important things to do. He’s not the kind of father who treats you differently when you mess up or don’t do what He says. As author Sally Lloyd-Jones puts it in the Jesus Storybook Bible, God loves us “with a Never-Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.”

Have you ever witnessed a father like this? While no human being can come close to loving us perfectly, I’ve seen father love through my friend Brian. He is one of the most loving and engaged fathers I know. He cherishes his son and daughter. He’s not just their dad; they’re good friends. I remember being blown away at witnessing how he interacted with his kids, specifically over rules. He modeled to me a father who was not obsessed with authority, rules, and perfect obedience but was gracious, present, and loving.

Do you know who your heavenly Father is? Can you grasp how much He loves you and all the ways He is seeking to engage you each day? The subtle surprises, the good gifts, the simple pleasures you receive every day? Through all experiences, God is showing us who He is and how much He loves us. God is lavishing His love on us day in and day out.

God, You are gracious, present, and loving. Even when I am not aware of it, You seek to bless me.