My father is so amazing! The longer I know him, the more I begin to see his love and his wisdom.
My father doesn’t just dote on us kids. Certainly, he does plenty of that, but the depth of his love for all of us, plus his wisdom that is far above any human wisdom, won’t allow him to spoil us, nor to abandon us. Instead, he works all things together for his righteous purposes and for the good of those who are his children.
Yet, my father does not stop there! He gladly sends the rain on the just and the unjust. He provides food and clothing and shelter for those outside the family – even to those who are his enemies and ours. Then he teaches us to do the same – that this is right – this is how our family does things. We are to love our enemies, to do good to those who despitefully use us, and to pray for those who persecute us.
Many times in the past I have been that enemy. Whether as an outsider, or as a rebellious and unfaithful child of his, I was going my own way, telling him I knew better than he, like a cocky teen aged know-it-all before he matures a little, or like the prodigal son, who used his father and everyone else for years until he hit bottom and came to his senses. But, still, my father’s unfailing love called out to me and pursued me, and when I finally repented and returned, he ran to me, threw his arms around me, kissed me, and called me his son, not his enemy! How do you begin to comprehend such love, such mercy, and such grace?
Now that I’m back, and the chains from my past are broken, and my sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ, and my deep, inner, secret lies and resentments and hatred and fears are being released to him and replaced with his truth, his love, his ways and his life, I am beginning to see other levels of his character in action that blow me away!
I marvel as I realize not only how he brought me back home (even that was his doing), but how he works everything out, for it is all under his providence, to accomplish his purposes in our lives and in history. My father brings people and events, comfort and pain, peace and chaos, and whatever is necessary into our lives to grow us up and to prepare us for each next step. I’m beginning to see how the seemingly little and random things in life many times are another part of his love and training and care. I’m beginning to see why we can count it all joy when we face various trials and interruptions and difficulties and hurts, for when we are weak, his strength is perfected within us and our faith increased, as we trust and obey him, instead of trying to carry it all ourselves, or just complaining how unfair life is.
So, here I am, one month after fully surrendering my heart and life to him and asking him to be the Lord of my life, and I am so amazed at all he’s done, and the changes already in progress in my heart – changes I could never have done myself. As a one-month-old, I have plenty of milk to take in and training to learn correctly, but I am so excited to be in my father’s family and walking with him daily and hourly!
I can honestly say that my father – God Almighty – has done in one month what I could not do in ten years of trying to change. But on top of that, he seems to be doting on me a little, too! He gave me one of the best gifts ever 45 years ago – my wife Sue, yet I barely noticed what I had back then. I admired the wrapping and the beautiful bow, and was enamored by the shape of the box, but for all those years I never opened it up to see what’s inside. Yes, I sure shook the box a lot!
I still love the beauty of the package, but it is what’s inside that is capturing my heart more and more, as I figure out how to unwrap a little more each day and discover the great value of what is there. And my father, who is so amazing, has through the years poured his love and mercy and grace into her heart, so that the diamond inside the box has increased in beauty and value over a hundred times, while patiently waiting to be discovered.
Thank you, father, for your great love! Thank you for my wife Sue! And thank you, Sue, for loving me so much to help me find my father and return to him! I love you so much!
My father doesn’t just dote on us kids. Certainly, he does plenty of that, but the depth of his love for all of us, plus his wisdom that is far above any human wisdom, won’t allow him to spoil us, nor to abandon us. Instead, he works all things together for his righteous purposes and for the good of those who are his children.
Yet, my father does not stop there! He gladly sends the rain on the just and the unjust. He provides food and clothing and shelter for those outside the family – even to those who are his enemies and ours. Then he teaches us to do the same – that this is right – this is how our family does things. We are to love our enemies, to do good to those who despitefully use us, and to pray for those who persecute us.
Many times in the past I have been that enemy. Whether as an outsider, or as a rebellious and unfaithful child of his, I was going my own way, telling him I knew better than he, like a cocky teen aged know-it-all before he matures a little, or like the prodigal son, who used his father and everyone else for years until he hit bottom and came to his senses. But, still, my father’s unfailing love called out to me and pursued me, and when I finally repented and returned, he ran to me, threw his arms around me, kissed me, and called me his son, not his enemy! How do you begin to comprehend such love, such mercy, and such grace?
Now that I’m back, and the chains from my past are broken, and my sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ, and my deep, inner, secret lies and resentments and hatred and fears are being released to him and replaced with his truth, his love, his ways and his life, I am beginning to see other levels of his character in action that blow me away!
- I see his direct hand reaching out to me and saying, “Come, follow me.” It is the same hand that reached out to me and pulled me out of the slime when I was drowning. His hand is still there for me, and still reaching out first, even before I think of him.
- I see his heart demonstrated in one who is his, who like him, endured my childishness and selfishness and lies, and yet still reached out to me in love with her father’s message of real hope and real change for good.
- I see his love reflected by others who are his, who have walked with me for a time, or given me a cup of cool water, as I started on my journey back home. Many of them were just a few steps ahead of me, or right beside me, but his love had reached them, and they were struggling to find their way, too.
- I see his very life beginning to work through my heart and my eyes and my hands, revealing others’ hurts and needs, and giving me a heart of compassion, where there was once mostly selfishness, and empowering me to act rf pray for them, not out of duty or performance, but out of a small seed of his eternal love, now planted within my heart, growing by his grace, as I yield more of me to his Spirit in obedience and trust.
I marvel as I realize not only how he brought me back home (even that was his doing), but how he works everything out, for it is all under his providence, to accomplish his purposes in our lives and in history. My father brings people and events, comfort and pain, peace and chaos, and whatever is necessary into our lives to grow us up and to prepare us for each next step. I’m beginning to see how the seemingly little and random things in life many times are another part of his love and training and care. I’m beginning to see why we can count it all joy when we face various trials and interruptions and difficulties and hurts, for when we are weak, his strength is perfected within us and our faith increased, as we trust and obey him, instead of trying to carry it all ourselves, or just complaining how unfair life is.
So, here I am, one month after fully surrendering my heart and life to him and asking him to be the Lord of my life, and I am so amazed at all he’s done, and the changes already in progress in my heart – changes I could never have done myself. As a one-month-old, I have plenty of milk to take in and training to learn correctly, but I am so excited to be in my father’s family and walking with him daily and hourly!
I can honestly say that my father – God Almighty – has done in one month what I could not do in ten years of trying to change. But on top of that, he seems to be doting on me a little, too! He gave me one of the best gifts ever 45 years ago – my wife Sue, yet I barely noticed what I had back then. I admired the wrapping and the beautiful bow, and was enamored by the shape of the box, but for all those years I never opened it up to see what’s inside. Yes, I sure shook the box a lot!
I still love the beauty of the package, but it is what’s inside that is capturing my heart more and more, as I figure out how to unwrap a little more each day and discover the great value of what is there. And my father, who is so amazing, has through the years poured his love and mercy and grace into her heart, so that the diamond inside the box has increased in beauty and value over a hundred times, while patiently waiting to be discovered.
Thank you, father, for your great love! Thank you for my wife Sue! And thank you, Sue, for loving me so much to help me find my father and return to him! I love you so much!
