The Holy Spirit spoke to me the other day, and showed me that it is
vital for us to realize how God really feels about us -how He sees us. I
am going to cover some of the verses which gives us some great clues
into the thoughts, desires, and concerns of God towards us. The Bible
tells us that His thoughts towards us are not only precious, but
numerous as the sands of the seashore. God thinks about you and I all
the time!
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. Psalms 139:13-18
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11
Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Psalms 40:5
God's Word also tells us He loved us not because of anything we've done, but because of who we were. Christ was not sent to die for the saint, but the filthy sinner (which includes all of us at some point in our lives!).
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
God doesn't just want to recruit servants, but to call us as Sons and therefore heirs of Christ. He wants us to be a part of His own family. This in itself is a big clue as to God's great love for us!
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.1 John 3:1
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:6-7
God desires to have a loving and genuine father and son relationship with us. Not a father and son relationship that many today have came to know, but a loving, caring, and wonderful relationship. Many times, when a person has an abusive relationship with their earthly father, they tend to perceive their relationship with their heavenly Father the same way. That causes a lot of people to have an unhealthy fear of God, which drives them away instead of closer to Him. This is exactly what the devil wants us to do, and it grieves the heart of God. Our heavenly Father is the most loving and caring Father that anybody could ever ask for! Your Father wants to give you good things! Jesus tells us that if our earthly father (referring to a good and loving earthly father) would desire to give his children good gifts, how much more does our heavenly Father desire to give good things to them that ask.
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Matthew 7:9-11
Jesus actually tells us to ask our heavenly Father for things, so that we may receive from Him, and that we might be filled with joy. A heavenly Father that wasn't interested in giving us good things, or interested in seeing us filled with joy, would never say such a thing! These are only the words from a loving and caring heavenly Father.
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:24
The Holy Spirit spoke to Paul, and made it clear that if the Father spared not His own son for our sakes, how much He desires to freely give us all things. Can you say, ALL things?
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32
Talk about giving us all things, look at how God's Word tells us that we're heirs of God through Christ. Do you know what a heir is? It is an inheritor... just like when a rich parent dies, an inheritance is left to the children. We are heirs of God through Christ!
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:7
Anybody who reads verses like this and still thinks that God is all about poverty and is not eager to give us good things (health, finances, wisdom, deliverance - you name it!). All of these things are provided for us in the Word of God and through the work of Christ on the cross. God wants us to seek FIRST His kingdom (which most Christians today fail to do), and then He promises to meet our needs financially.
If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.Luke 12:28-31
God is a good God who takes pleasure in blessing! The Bible is clear in story after story, passage after passage, that God takes pleasure in blessing and being good to His people who love Him. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment:
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance [or wealth]; and I will fill their treasures. Proverbs 8:17-21
God's Word tells us that if we put Him first in our lives, he wants to give us the desires of our hearts and fill our barns (or financial blessings) to overflowing.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psalms 37:4-5
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. Psalms 35:27
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Psalms 34:10
This lines up with how He blessed Abraham (and we have the blessings of Abraham available to us through the cross - what are the blessings of Abraham? Financial blessings were definitely a part of those blessings!), and also how God blessed Job. The Holy Spirit spoke to me about Job and how after the devil was done with him, God blessed Job with TWICE as much as before... and the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, "I WANTED HIM BLESSED!" God's Word also tells us that He has stored up great goodness for those who trust Him before the sons of men:
Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Psalms 31:19
If you want to know about the good, loving, and merciful nature of God, then just study the Israelites in the Bible. They were filled with rebellion to the point of sacrificing their our children to demons! They were very stiff-necked, and would kill the prophets that God sent them. Just look at how their religious leaders made Jesus out to be a criminal and killed him! But over and over again, God would keep calling them back to Him, promising to forgive their sins and bless them. So many times, believers will read their Bibles, and think to themselves, "That is terrible what God brought upon His people when they disobeyed Him!" But we also need to consider what led up to that point. Often, God would wait many years and put up with them before bringing judgment against them. Anyways, just look at a few (of many) passages which gives us a glimpse into God's eagerness to bless His people :
For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. Psalms 147:13-14
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Exodus 3:8
And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Deuteronomy 28:2-5
And take your father and your households, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. Genesis 45:18
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:19
For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest digbrass. When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.Deuteronomy 8:7-10
Many today in the church might be saying, "But that was just for those people back then... today we are called to poverty." God's Word tells me that He is no respecter of persons (see Acts 10:34)
, and that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8)!
The depths of our Father's love is beyond what our puny little minds can comprehend (see Ephesians 3:19).
He takes delight in giving us His kingdom: Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
Is this a heavenly kingdom that we will only be table to enjoy after we die or are raptured up? No, for Jesus told us that the kingdom of heaven is upon us RIGHT NOW!
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21