I wrote before that when I go to bed at night I recite and visualize Psalm 23. I see in my imagination’s eye the green pastures and still waters. I see the Shepherd with His rod and staff. One night as I was getting settled, my imagination brought me the sight of the Good Shepherd walking through a dark valley, His Hand holding on to that of a little girl in a pretty dress with black patent leather shoes. I immediately began to cry.
When I was little I always got a new pair of black patent leather shoes for Easter. Living back east, wearing white before Memorial Day was unacceptable. I knew that little girl holding the hand of the Good Shepherd was me. Every time my mind takes me back to that picture, I cry.
One of the great truths of Scripture is found in 1 John 3:1, “Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are!” [HCSB]
I love that verse. I love how it begins. “Look!” Some translations say “Behold!” The word is horaó and means to see, perceive, attend to. It often has a metaphorical meaning, “to see with the mind (spiritually see), to perceive (with inward spiritual perception).” [Strongs]
Look! Behold! See(!) how great a love the Father has given us, evidenced by the fact that He calls us His children. His children! The greatest privilege ever granted to mankind that God would love us so much that He would send His Son to die so that He could call us His children. And I love the way the Apostle John puts the exclamation on that thought. “And we are!”
Yes, we are. I am a child of God. You are a child of God. He loves us with an infinite love that will extend far beyond our life in this world. It will extend into eternity. We can never outdistance the love God has for us!
