All-Powerful Father - by Debby Kloosterman

Many people know that I co-facilitate a women’s group at the Clinton County Jail.  The focus of the group is domestic and sexual violence but our topics include many sessions on making better life choices.  As a part of our group we seek to define violence and how pervasive it is in our western culture.  Our media exposure and even our sports reporting is filled with battle language.  It is not enough to merely “win” a game; we need to “annihilate” our competitor.  We need to “beat ’em, whip ‘em or kick their butt”!

The language of the Bible is equally telling.  It speaks of God’s character in superlatives; that is God’s character as being the finest quality or of the highest degree. He is an extravagant God, indulgent in creating good things for those who are His children.  He doesn’t just sit back and throw us an occasional bone of His love.  He lavishes us with His love!  When I think of the word “lavish”, the word picture that I get is of an active volcano with molten lava pouring out covering everything in its path.

As you continue to read through your Bible, I challenge you to note further examples of our amazing, all-powerful Father and His “extreme” qualities.

1 John 3:1 New International Version (NIV)

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.