“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
This week I was blessed to spend some time with my toddler nieces and nephews. Toddlers have a curiosity and a boldness that is exciting to watch. As such vivacious wee ones, there is always a need for a set of protective arms to encourage them on their journey of discovery while protecting them from dangers like tall slides, edges of couches, and mystery finds that could be swallowed.
God is our Father. And He is a good Father indeed. From the Bible, we are told we are the apple of His eye, that He goes before us, that He will uphold us with His hand, He keeps our feet from slipping, He will comfort us, and His love for us is everlasting.
Toddlers do not want to be restrained, so the encouraging parent is close by without being too close. Close enough to give aid and comfort but distant enough for the toddler to believe she’s making great strides of independence.
I feel like we can fall into this too. Perhaps we will never know how much God shields us from. I feel it’s a constant job of protecting the saints with all the darkness in the world. The more we endeavor to connect with our Father, however, I think the more we find His presence and evidence of His work on our behalf. It’s like looking beside you and seeing your shadow. He is quiet and gentle and oh so faithful.
Of course, there will be times in this life, because the world is sick and broken from the weight of sin, where we will have to undergo that surgery, that chemo treatment, that broken bone, that strained relationship, that financial crisis, whatever it may be. But that doesn’t mean our loving Father has changed His character or forgotten about us. It means He loves us so much to allow the fires of affliction to refine us and prove our faith genuine.
Like toddlers cry from a skinned knee or from being bumped over by the family dog, we adults cry when our parents pass away, our spouses suffer, our kids see disappointment, or our jobs disappear.
Like the loving parent soothes and comforts the distraught toddler, God soothes and comforts our broken hearts and ailing bodies too. Be blessed knowing that we matter to God. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He calls us by name. He sees every tear that falls. He is quiet and gentle and oh so faithful.
His great hope for you and me is that we trust Him to be the faithful Father He is, with such assurance that we live bold and vivacious lives knowing He will protect us from danger, and He desires that we live a journey of spiritual discovery and use our personal experiences to witness and minister to the world around us.
“he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.” Psalm 66:9
