We’ll start with the
best present first—God’s great love for us unlovable folks. Scripture shows us this
over and over again in many different ways. He just keeps inviting us to
Himself. Check out these verses.
The blue scriptural
citations are hyperlinks that will take you to other translations
And they heard the
sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man
and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees
of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, and
said to him, “Where are you?
Genesis 17:1 (New Jerusalem Bible)
'I am
El Shaddai. Live in my presence, be perfect
Proverbs 1:20-25 (New Jerusalem Bible)
Wisdom calls aloud in the
streets, she raises her voice in the public squares;21 she calls out at the street corners, she delivers her message
at the city gates. 22 'You
simple people, how much longer will you cling to your simple ways? How much
longer will mockers revel in their mocking and fools go on hating knowledge?23 Pay attention to my warning. To you I will pour out my heart
and tell you what I have to say.24 …I have called and … I have beckoned …
Proverbs 8:1-8 (New Jerusalem Bible)
Is not Wisdom calling? Is
not Understanding raising her voice?2 On the heights overlooking the road, at the crossways, she
takes her stand; 3 by
the gates, at the entrance to the city, on the access-roads, she cries out,4
'I am calling to you, all
people, my words are addressed to all humanity.5 Simpletons, learn how to behave, fools, come to your senses. 6 Listen, I have something important to tell you, when I speak,
my words are right.7 My
mouth proclaims the truth, for evil is abhorrent to my lips. 8 All the words from my mouth are upright, nothing false there,
nothing crooked,
Wisdom has built herself a
house, she has hewn her seven pillars, 2 she has slaughtered her beasts, drawn her wine, she has laid
her table. 3 She has dispatched her
maidservants and proclaimed from the heights above the city, 4 'Who is simple? Let him come this way.' To the fool she says, 5 'Come and eat my bread, drink the wine which I have drawn!
Sirach 14:20-15:6 (New Jerusalem Bible)
Blessed is anyone who
meditates on wisdom, and reasons with intelligence, 21 who studies her ways in his heart, and ponders her secrets.
22 He
pursues her like a hunter, and lies in wait by her path; 23 he peeps in at her windows, and listens at her doors; 24 he lodges close to her house, and fixes his peg in her walls; 25 he pitches his tent at her side, and lodges in an excellent
lodging; 26 he sets his children in
her shade, and camps beneath her branches; 27 he is sheltered by her from the heat, and in her glory he makes
his home.15 1 Whoever fears the Lord will act like this, and whoever grasps
the Law will obtain wisdom. 2 She
Will come to meet him like a mother, and receive him like a virgin bride. 3 She will give him the bread of understanding to eat, and the
water of wisdom to drink. 4 He
will lean on her and will not fall, he will rely on her and not be put to
shame.
5 She
will raise him high above his neighbors, and in full assembly she will will
open his mouth. 6 He
will find happiness and a crown of joy, he will inherit an everlasting name.
Come to me, you who desire me, and eat
your fill of my produce
Draw near to me, you who are untaught,
and lodge in my school.24 Why do you say you are lacking in these
things,
and why are your souls very thirsty? 25 I
opened my mouth and said, Get these things for yourselves
without money. 26 Put your neck under the yoke, and let
your souls receive instruction; it is to be found close by.
The Lord says, “Come, everyone who is
thirsty—here is water! Come, you that have no money— buy grain and eat! Come!
Buy wine and milk—it will cost you nothing! 2 Why spend
money on what does not satisfy? Why spend your wages and still be hungry?
Listen to me and do what I say, and you will enjoy the best food of all. 3 “Listen
now, my people, and come to me; come to me, and you will have life! I will make
a lasting covenant with you
Let not the foreigner who has joined himself
to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and let
not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”4 For thus says
the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that
please me and hold fast my covenant, 5 I will give in my
house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off. 6 “And
the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him,
to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, every one who keeps the
sabbath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant—7 these
I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my
house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. 8 Thus
says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, I will gather yet others
to him besides those already gathered.”
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon
you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.”
And I tell you, Ask, and it will be
given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For
every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it
will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks
for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or
if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If
you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Now the tax collectors and sinners were
all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees
and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with
them.”
3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What
man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave
the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he
finds it? 5 And
when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And
when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to
them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ 7 Just
so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if
she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek
diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has
found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with
me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’ 10 Just
so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who
repents.”
And he said, “There was a man who had
two sons; 12 and
the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property
that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. 13 Not
many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into
a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. 14 And
when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he
began to be in want. 15 So he went and joined himself to one of
the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And
he would gladly have fed on[a]
the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. 17 But
when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have
bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I
will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned
against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer
worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 And
he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father
saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And
the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am
no longer worthy to be called your son.’[b]
22 But
the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on
him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; 23 and
bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; 24 for
this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they
began to make merry.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the
gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would
have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
On the last day of the feast, the great
day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and
drink. 38 He
who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers
of living water.”
But God shows his love for us in that
while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
1 John 4:10 (New Jerusalem Bible)
Love consists in this: it
is not we who loved God, but God loved us and sent his Son to expiate our sins.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat
with him, and he with me.
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