This morning I am loving the promise verse that came to my inbox:
I will carry you in my arms as a father carries his child. Deut 1:31
That is a happy conversation in my mind. I know that when my husband picks up a child that we know several things are going to happen:
- That child is going to be safe.
- That child will be loved and cuddled.
- That child will be shown things from a new perspective
- That child will have his/her needs met and love lavished on them
- That child we be protected when he/she doesn’t know that answer
- That child will be taught if he/she is willing to learn.
- That child will know laughter, love, and that their father loves them enough to protect them from themselves.
Not every father’s arms is a kind or loving place. Memories may have you flinching at the thought of being in your father’s arms. It is a truth that you have had to carry, maybe even a secret that you were ashamed to share. I want you to know this morning that you are loved. That whatever it is your earthly father may have done, it had nothing to do with how precious you are. You are God’s magnificient creation. He formed you long before you were present in your mother’s womb and He is just as delighted with His creation today as He was the day He created you. The Bible tells us over and over again that God wants us to be in relationship with Him. To trust Him, the give Him our burdens, to allow Him to restore, reveal His plan for us, to love us.
This morning, I would so love for you to allow yourself to imagine a loving father in heaven that loves you so much that he carries you in his arms, proud of you, loving you, adoring your marvelous mind and heart, and to see that image today throughout the day. See the pride in His eyes for your trust, see the joy your learning and time with Him brings Him, Listen for His Holy Spirit to speak to you, see yourself as that beloved child and know that the things I have seen my own husband do for our children does not begin to cover the love of the Father in Heaven for you and how he desires to be God of your life and the Father protector, provider, and lavishly in love with you in healthy ways Father of your heart.
