My Fathers’ Love is Strong

It’s back to school time, and it was time to replace my youngest daughters gym shoes. My wife called me early this afternoon to ask if I would take her to get them. Normally, I’m not one that likes to go shopping, however today for some odd reason I was really looking forward to taking her. It’s funny how God works as He prepares us for those unexpected nuggets of gold He drops in our lives.

My daughters call me normally everyday at work once they get home school. My youngest moreso than my oldest just to say hello she’s home and she loves me. Sometimes when they forget to call as I really look foward to hearing their voices I tease them and ask why they didn’t call they’ll respond with a shy grin, a slumping shrug of the shoulders and say I don’t know I forgot they then apologize, and I reach out with a hug and a kiss followed by I love you.

Back to my golden nugget I recieved this evening. As we proceed out of the car to head into the store my daughter as she always does reaches up to hold my hand. Like I said in the begining today there was something more. At, the moment I grabbed her hand it made me instantly think about what our relationship with our Holy Father is like. I was drawn to John 10:27-29, ” My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal live, and they shall never perish; neither shall any one snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

As the sheep of His flock, we are assured of the security we have in our Father that saved us.  Being, the good shepherd we can rest knowing He will protect us from any and all hurt, harm, or danger.

I wanted to hear in her own words what she thinks about as she’s holding my hand. I asked her how did it make her feel. Her response to me was that she felt safe. She knows and has the confidence that I won’t let her get hit, that I’ll protect her as we’re crossing the street. My hand to her feels warm and soft, strong but not crushing. This in her mind says how much I love her! This is the same love our Father has for us!

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. for I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Reach out hold your Fathers hand feel His strength, the warmth, how gentle He is with each of us, but most importantly how much He LOVES us.

D John