Lavishly Loved by Jesus

We’re pampered by Jesus. We don’t hear that very often, but we are. Oh, not in the way the world views pampering: few of us drive around in fancy sportscars or wear diamond watches on our wrists. But we’re pampered nonetheless.

Just listen to John’s exaltation: “How great is the Father’s love that He has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God!” (I John 3:1) And Paul exclaims in the same fashion, “How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him…. He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.” (Ephesians 1:3&6 The Message)

The Sons of Korah proclaim in joy, “The Lord will give grace and glory! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly!” (Psalm 84:11)

Are we righteous on our own? Not at all! Jesus took our sin debt and placed us in right-standing with God. Our Heavenly Father sees us through the lens of His Son’s deep love and sacrifice for us. What is good? Not the riches or fame or beauty that the world chases after; not the lusts of the flesh or of the mind; not the pride of life. Everything became confused at the Fall in the Garden of Eden: our perception became distorted. But oh, how much our heavenly Father loves us! He longs to restore us to His vision for our lives, His way of looking at things.

Just look at the picture God Himself paints in Ezekiel 16: “’I anointed you with oil. I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil…. Your beauty…was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you,’ says the Lord God.”

This chapter is a pleading of Father God for us to come before Him with hearts full of praise and adoration for the lavish gifts He’s given. He knows how temptation steals into our hearts, beckoning us to squander the oil and pastry, the silk and the gold on false loves and fleshly idols. “’She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry and went after her lovers, but Me she forget,’ says the Lord.” (Hosea 2:13)

Proverbs 21:20 declares, “There is desirable treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it.” In Scripture, oil often represents the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Oil is useful for a fragrance, an antibiotic, and a cleansing potion. Oils were used to purify the system of contaminations, to soften the skin, and to saturate individuals with such a beautiful scent that they were intoxicating wherever they went.  Tommy Tenney devotes an entire chapter in his book Finding Favor with the King on understanding the use of oils in the purification process that Esther went through before she was allowed to approach the king. How much more should we, God’s favored children, long to immerse ourselves in the presence of the Holy Spirit so that we are well-pleasing to the King of Kings, our Beloved Husband?

So what are the pastry, the silk,  and the adornments that Ezekiel speaks of? They were literal for historical Israel at the peak of her glory, but they also represent an ongoing truth about our souls. Stormie Omartian writes in Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On: “Hunger for God’s Word like food. Thirst for it like water. Soak in it like a Jacuzzi. Put it on like a garment. Weave it into your soul so that it becomes part of the fabric of your life. When you do, you won’t just be trudging up the trail. You will be dancing in the footlights.”

Jesus longs for us to spend time with Him; He loves to pour over us His fragrant perfume and to beautify us with the radiance of His love. Most surely, yes, most surely, He loves to pamper us!!!

Jesus, I’ll adorn myself with Your truth! I will bask in the glory of Your grace and let You weave faith into a beautiful garment for my soul. Yes, I’ll sit at my Father’s table and partake of the Bread of Life and the Wine of Your love! I’ll rejoice in Who You are and remember that all these gifts come from Your hand—not for me to look at my own reflection in a mirror, but for me to stand in amazement and gaze and gaze and gaze in breath-taking wonder at the love in Your eyes.