Thursday, September 23, 2010

Gentle

They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son. Jeremiah 31:9


I love this verse. I have been struggling so much with being fatherless. What seems to hurt the most is that I have a father figure in my life, I am just not his child and that changes the nature of the relationship we are able to have. What I love so much about this verse is the gentleness God displays toward Israel. I love that He brings them back and then guides them. He takes them on a level path so they do not stumble.



I know that God is my father and He wants the best for me. It is quite a journey- embracing my REAL Dad! Part of this journey entails seeing God as my Father and not some distant, hard to please, ever judging father- the kind I have always known a father to be. To throw off the yoke of earning my worth and put on His yoke that is easy and the burden is light.



During my quiet time this morning the lesson was on finding joy in our circumstances. The lesson includes readings in 1 Kings. I love stories about Elijah. I always shake my head- God will speak to him, allow the most incredible miracles to happen and Elijah gets scared and runs away. He audibly hears God's voice, yet experiences doubt and depression; talk about being human! I still love the tenderness that God shows Elijah when Elijah is hungry and exhausted (1 Kings 19). An angel prepares a meal for Elijah.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:16-19

I just pray that God would continue to help see Him as my Father. That I will be rooted and established in his love. I want to know how wide, and long and high and deep His love is. I want to run to Him with my hopes, joys, dreams, failures, disappointments. I want to experience His healing and restoration, to continue building a relationship that will endure for all time.

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