A Loving Father

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”—Seneca

     We of the Church, Christ's Bride, are trying to live righteously as our example lived out His life. We do this for many reasons but today it seems a lot of those reasons are becoming mixed with and stained with worldly reasons as much as what is biblical. We want to be righteous as long as it allows us to remain within the world and not demand that we look too differently from our neighbors. This is completely understandable in that we were created as a social being. We need and covet, yes I did use that term, other peoples approval and acceptance. Our creator made us this way intentionally so that we would seek Him out to be our source of approval and acceptance. Father knew that for us to desire a relationship with Him, He would have to take risk in creating a NEED to be social within each person. That empty place, within each person created, that can only be filled with a social attachment to another. This was intentional and exhibited by all the characters of the bible. Even our Savior had a NEED to fill that void with another and He can be seen loving others and accepting their love in return. Mary, John (his most loved disciple), Peter each are examples for this in Jesus' life. But even more, we see His constant need of approval from His Father. And Father always ensured that He filled that emptiness (like in ,"At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.” —Mark 1:9-11."

     However, satan looks at the void as an opportunity to spread his own deceits and designs. Not willing to allow anyone to develop that relationship with Father, satan attempts to change the designs of God's plan and delude Father's children into filling that void with other things. He wants us to fill that emptiness with greed and lasciviousness, malicious thoughts, hungers for more money, power, status, things, etc. He attempts to fill it with hatred and anger or anything that will not allow us to draw near to our Father. He does this with an uncanny ability to twist Father's Word to fit his intent. For example...I was taught Jabez's prayer at a youthful age. It was always held out as a prayer for 'money, and things' by a righteous man and so Father said, "Done. I will give you what you asked." ("Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.—1 Chronicles 4:10.") You see, when I had been taught the prayer, it was for the first half of the prayer...give me. Yet, Jabez did not stop at money and things...he also asked for God to remain near to him and that Father would protect him. Now why would I be taught to look at the worldly things of this prayer and truly only recently be brought to understand the truth of the whole prayer? Satan does not want us to be asking God to fill that void. If I am taught that God answered Jabez' prayer for money and things...then I will ask for the same and when I do not  ask for the relationship, perhaps I will never pursue the intimate and deep love that I could have with my Father. This will open the door for satan to put into that void a spirit of unforgiveness or anger, or hatred or any number of other worldly things that would drive a wedge between me and my God. 

     We all have this same NEED for Father, and His Spirit tries to help us live out our lives as loving children. Father knew satan would try to twist what was intended for good and make it evil. Therefore, He blessed us with a pure and holy gift, His Spirit. This gift was sent freely by our very own Father in an effort to ensure that we do not succomb to satan's evil desires. In the old testament, Father spoke directly to each of His faithful or by His emmisaries, the prophets. No better example of this could be seen than Father's relationship with David. Yet even David was not impervious to satan's temptations and fell often. The difference, David never stopped praying to Father in fear, or in triumph, in pleading for mercy, or prayers of praise for deliverence. David continually sought to fill that empty void with His Father's love and acceptance. Father acknowledged that by calling David a man after God's own heart...'A Man After God's Own Heart'...Wow! To be known by ones peers as a man after God's own heart would be a lifelong achievement but to be KNOWN as a Man After God's Own Heart by our heavenly Father! Now that is an epitaph that I would gladly accept and sing about! Truly, each of us are within reach of this same acknowledgement from our Father as He LONGS (yearns) for the same relationship with each of us as He had with His son David. It is right there for the taking if we would just reach out to Father and take it. Realistically, it is our own guardedness that limits our closeness with our Father. He is the Father in the Prodigal Story. He is waiting and watching eagerly for each of us to return to Him. Honestly, we do not even have to make the whole journey back...Father, RUNS eagerly to each of us who turns to Him crying out for restoration and love. He loves us freely and without reservation from the moment of our birth until our last breath. He wants, hopes, desires, and longs for our love and in return for our giving it, will shower us with blessings and His nearness and His protection throughout our days and even into those of our children. For that was His promise to the Israelites and to all who follow the path of His only Son, "The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.—Proverbs 20:7"

     So our question, will you and I put aside our fears of rejection? Our timidness? Our doubts and lack of trust? Will we ALLOW a loving Father to gather us up and love on each of us as we soo deeply want and NEED. Will we open ourselves to the chance of a REAL and lasting love that no other human can give nor immitate but that we are each promised by a Father who watches hopefully that one day we will accept...this same promise that is without prejudice or stipulations. There will be no rejection or harsh words, no cruel biting and recriminations. God does not love that way and His is a perfect love that will never leave you wanting or looking for something more...humans do not know how to love like that and cannot hope to understand the totallity of a PURE love. But man does it sound majestic and unbelievable to ones who have been yearning for something honest and wholesome but never seeming to find it. I so desperately desire that love and hope. And still I find myself lacking in the faith to reach out to God and grasp what is within reach. Lifes pain and anguish restricts my beliefs and trust; testing my own resolve to seek out Father sometimes even when I know He is the cure. God has everything that I need to live a life of fullness and wholeness yet I am too wounded sometimes to allow healing within. Do not walk that path and suffer unnecessarily. It is a lonely road that leads to depression and pain. It will lead you to a sorrowful end and an unfulfilled life. Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you to Father's embrace and allow healing and love to fulfill your life that it may be a life of wonder and praise to Father. His love is trustworthy...ALWAYs.