Ephesians 1:7,8
“…In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight”
He has given to us. Like a wealthy parent spoiling his children with his abundance, so God has given unto us. The word here is lavished. This is to give generously. He has limitless resources. What does He give us? He has given us forgiveness and grace. To the guilty soul, forgiveness is the best of gifts. To the incarcerated prisoner, a pardon is welcome. People have developed mental illnesses due to guilt. The disapproval is so great and constant that pathologies develop. Forgiveness lifts the heaviness and the constancy. This is a very big deal. Mainly because it was so expensive. The price was the blood of innocence that was in a great enough quantity to cover everyone, all throughout history. This is what Jesus did. The plan was spelled out through types and symbols throughout the Old Testament. Because the price was so high, God delights in giving that which was already paid for. He also gives us generously of His grace. One definition of grace is unmerited favor. God likes us. The ice cream server behind the counter gives extra large scoops to those he likes. Everyone can have His favor. We need to go His way, through Christ. The love is there, but it’s blocked by sin. The forgiveness of Jesus removes the sin issue and we are reconciled to God. We get the extra large scoops. What do we get? Joy in our hearts, good relationships, health, sustenance, a future, and on and on. Outside of joy, we don’t get all of this at once. The end of the verse says He gives it to us “in all wisdom and insight”. There are many stories of lottery winners whose lives were ruined by the abundance. God gives it when it’s best for us. Also, God is our father and fathers teach lessons to children. Some of those lessons are difficult and we don’t understand them. This is where faith comes in. He tells us to praise Him in the storm. On balance, we are blessed. We will have difficulties, but He works all out for the good, Rom 8:28. Lord, thank You for Your generosity. Give us a glimpse of what we’ve got.