All That

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 1:5-8 NLT

This jumped out at me tonight. When we do random acts of kindness, we feel blessed being able to give; the recipient feels blessed to receive. It's a good thing surely, but it pales in comparison to the kindnesses of God. There is nothing random about God's acts of kindness. From the beginning of time, His are all very intentional. 

The passage goes on to say that God showered His kindness on us. When I think shower, I think totally wet. Covered in it. Soaked. 

However, the translation of the Greek word for 'showered' is more than that. It is primarily "to have abundance, more than enough, overflow, to have an excessive amount of something, ranging from moderate excess to a very great degree of excess". Not only God's kindness but His wisdom and understanding, too! Are we able to wrap our heads around all that?

Prayer:

Father,

           It is with an overflowing, grateful heart that we give You praise and glory and honor for the excessive kindnesses You have showered on us. Open our eyes of understanding so that we are able to grasp the greatness of it all and use it to complete Your purpose and plan for our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen