“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
The persona of God being a loving father is one of the most comforting things to ponder. There are times when we are shaken or unsettled, and nothing will help aside from running to the open arms of our all- knowing, all-seeing, and all-loving Father who has arms long enough to scoop us up from any circumstance.
When a toddler hurts herself or scares herself, usually she will run with arms in the air toward loving parents who can soothe her. Perhaps the child cries into the shoulder too upset to explain or maybe she points and explains the boo boo that’s vexing her. In any case, the embrace is the real healing balm the discontented child seeks.
In some cases, a toddler wants a kiss for the hurt, in other cases she wants a band aid and immediately the pain vanishes. The comforting arms and the attention of the parent on the problem is enough to give the child courage to buck up and overcome the situation. In still another case, the child may need a steady hand to hold onto to pass over unsteady ground. Depending on the mood, this hand can be accepted with a smile and gusto, and in another mood, the hand might be taken stormily, with the recognition of its necessity but it’s distain for its need.
I was thinking how beautiful this picture is when applied to our spirit. So many times we need to run to our Father for a loving embrace. So many times we need to simply melt into His presence. So many times we just need to know God sees us in this moment, in this situation. So many times we try to handle things on our own, when God is looking on us with love, offering His hand and sure leading and waiting to scoop us up when we come running.
God tells us there is no place we can go that He won’t still be there. We can’t run too far and too fast for Him to loose track of us. We can’t sink so far where His eyes won’t penetrate. We can’t spiral and get entangled so much that He can’t unravel and make it straight again.
Like a loving parent wants to comfort and give courage to a wearied toddler, God wants to do the same for our spirit. He desires our peace and joy and confidence. He will bend down, arms extended and sweep us into a supernatural embrace where He breathes His fruits of the spirit into us to refresh, revive, and redeem anything we bring to Him in hurt and contrition.
