Look, children are a gift of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a reward. - Psalm 137:3
Not long ago, it was my littlest (littler?) one's 18th birthday. I gave her the thing most precious to me . . . . time. I spent the entire day with my precious little girl at the Shedd Aquarium.
We laughed, we gazed in wonder at variety of God's creation, we touched stingrays, and we shared dinner together. It was a fantastic time. I love my Littlest One SO MUCH, it's difficult for a stoic old fool like me to adequately express.
It gave me pause to think about how God has blessed my life, and taught me the meaning of unconditional love through my children.
The Bible often uses the analogy of children and family to describe our relationship with God. This is so very appropriate.
I thought I knew how to love before I had children. I mean, I loved my parents, my family, my wife - and yes, I truly do love all of them, but there was something different about the love for a child. When I first saw the trusting eyes of those newborn babies, and felt the tender little fingers grasp my own finger, this crusty old soldier melted like butter. I would give anything for them from the moment I first met them to this very day and on into eternity, my love for my children transcends reason.
That's the love God has for us. We may stumble, we may fail and fall, but God's love for us stands. So much so that He gave us all the opportunity to become His children - part of His family. John 1:12-13 says "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."
He made this possible despite our ability to choose things that separate us from Him - sin. He offers forgiveness for the things that we do that form the links in the chains that bind us to the world and keep us from the comfort of a Father's love, that make us slaves to sin. "So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." -Galatians 4:7
He did this by making a tremendous sacrifice. He sent His son, His only flesh and blood Son, to pay the debt we incurred through our sin, to break the chains we forged by our choices, and to adopt us as heirs of God, His children.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
I'm not sure I could fully appreciate the depth of love God had for us - for ME - until I became a father myself. The thought of giving MY child to pay the debt someone else incurred, is a difficult thing to even imagine. Yet that's what God did for us, for you and for me!
Read that verse again, but replace your own name in place of the world, and whoever.
For God so loved JOE that He gave His one and only Son, that if JOE believes in Him he shall not perish but have eternal life.
He did it for me, and would have if I were the only one. He did it for you, and would have if you were the only one. That's the love a father has to reconcile his children to him.
He's given me all that AND the blessing, the lesson, of children in my own life that I, too, would forgive anything and welcome home. What a wonderful illustration of His love for us - for me.
So maybe you're reading this and wondering if you are loved. Let me tell you that you are, simple as that. You have a Daddy who cares enough for you that He's given you a way to come home no matter what you've done, no matter what...
If that's where you are right now, pray with me. God, I'm sorry for the things I've chosen to do to keep me apart from You and the unconditional love You offer. Thank You for the invitation to accept the gift You have offered, paid for by the blood of Your innocent Son, sacrificed to pay the debt of my sin. Please forgive me, and welcome me home, as I welcome You into my life. Work in me, Lord, to help me change for the better and follow You. Amen.
If you just prayed that prayer, send me a PM, I'd like to pray for you as well. I love you.
Not long ago, it was my littlest (littler?) one's 18th birthday. I gave her the thing most precious to me . . . . time. I spent the entire day with my precious little girl at the Shedd Aquarium.
We laughed, we gazed in wonder at variety of God's creation, we touched stingrays, and we shared dinner together. It was a fantastic time. I love my Littlest One SO MUCH, it's difficult for a stoic old fool like me to adequately express.
It gave me pause to think about how God has blessed my life, and taught me the meaning of unconditional love through my children.
The Bible often uses the analogy of children and family to describe our relationship with God. This is so very appropriate.
I thought I knew how to love before I had children. I mean, I loved my parents, my family, my wife - and yes, I truly do love all of them, but there was something different about the love for a child. When I first saw the trusting eyes of those newborn babies, and felt the tender little fingers grasp my own finger, this crusty old soldier melted like butter. I would give anything for them from the moment I first met them to this very day and on into eternity, my love for my children transcends reason.
That's the love God has for us. We may stumble, we may fail and fall, but God's love for us stands. So much so that He gave us all the opportunity to become His children - part of His family. John 1:12-13 says "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."
He made this possible despite our ability to choose things that separate us from Him - sin. He offers forgiveness for the things that we do that form the links in the chains that bind us to the world and keep us from the comfort of a Father's love, that make us slaves to sin. "So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." -Galatians 4:7
He did this by making a tremendous sacrifice. He sent His son, His only flesh and blood Son, to pay the debt we incurred through our sin, to break the chains we forged by our choices, and to adopt us as heirs of God, His children.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16
I'm not sure I could fully appreciate the depth of love God had for us - for ME - until I became a father myself. The thought of giving MY child to pay the debt someone else incurred, is a difficult thing to even imagine. Yet that's what God did for us, for you and for me!
Read that verse again, but replace your own name in place of the world, and whoever.
For God so loved JOE that He gave His one and only Son, that if JOE believes in Him he shall not perish but have eternal life.
He did it for me, and would have if I were the only one. He did it for you, and would have if you were the only one. That's the love a father has to reconcile his children to him.
He's given me all that AND the blessing, the lesson, of children in my own life that I, too, would forgive anything and welcome home. What a wonderful illustration of His love for us - for me.
So maybe you're reading this and wondering if you are loved. Let me tell you that you are, simple as that. You have a Daddy who cares enough for you that He's given you a way to come home no matter what you've done, no matter what...
If that's where you are right now, pray with me. God, I'm sorry for the things I've chosen to do to keep me apart from You and the unconditional love You offer. Thank You for the invitation to accept the gift You have offered, paid for by the blood of Your innocent Son, sacrificed to pay the debt of my sin. Please forgive me, and welcome me home, as I welcome You into my life. Work in me, Lord, to help me change for the better and follow You. Amen.
If you just prayed that prayer, send me a PM, I'd like to pray for you as well. I love you.