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Most everyone has a hobby, right? Watching sports, cooking, singing, hunting, hair, and makeup (hey, I have four daughters)... the list goes on and on, right? I have many hobbies: song composing, playing with my kids, and bible study (yes, I do it for fun! It feeds me.) Having a pastime helps get your mind off what you do all day and gives your mind a rest. 

Have you ever thought about what God does as a hobby? I looked all over for a scripture or a verse that says something like, "and Jesus retreated to the golf course" or "and on the seventh day, in the evening, God rested and made some pies for everyone." I couldn't find any reference to God doing anything like that. When He brought this to my attention several years ago, I couldn't recall anything like that, and I still haven't been able to. So what has he been doing all these thousands of years?

When He asked me this, I answered, "You haven't had time; you've been dealing with us!". And it hit me: you know what, that's exactly right. We have been all He's been doing for a long time. 

David asked something similar: What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? -Psalm 8:4 NIV

David asks, "God, why are you so fixated on people?". Not angels, not the earth, not galaxy travel... Humans. Yes, Us. ...YOU.

God is all about family. Jesus referred to God as Father and taught the disciples to pray by calling God' our Father'. The Father has been building a family all these years, and we are His children. See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God... -1 John 3:1a NASB  You know, when you are a parent, you don't have much time for anything else while you're raising children. 

Hebrew says that Jesus endured the cross and thought very little of the shame. Why? For "the joy" set before him: that's us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame... Hebrew 12:2a NKJV

What can we say to this? Why? Why has God set His attention on us like this? Because He loves us. (Even when we were His enemies, He loved us). That's the only thing that could endure this long with us.

But God—so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us... Ephesians 4:1 AMPC God's love for us was so intense it had to be satisfied. That's the serious love He has for us. 

It's a great thing to think about and meditate on. Go ahead and receive it; accept it: you are loved. God has put His entire focus on us. Jesus, obeying the Father's will, willingly laid down His life for us after saying There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:13 NLT

Wow, we are loved! 

 Jay Horne  Technical Director