Let me tell you about my dad. I mean he is pretty amazing. Growing up he ALWAYS let me do whatever I wanted. I always let me make my own choices, even if they were pretty dumb or dangerous. Even the times when I royally screwed up if I asked for help he was always there waiting on the sidelines ready to help with a happy loving heart. I can get mad at him and yell and he never tells me to not. There are even sometimes I can be down right disobedient and yet he still loves me. Even after times where I am all these things when I stop and ask for his help he still holds me and helps me through.
I don’t know if you know this but we have the same dad. Since the beginning of time God has searched for us and loved us.
The Lord is like a father to his children, tender, and compassionate to those who reverence him. (Psalm 103:13)
When I tell people that God is like a father they always, ALWAYS, look at me confused and tell me that their dad isn’t an angry wrathful father who lacks mercy. Now every time I would hear someone say this would say, “What?! No.” But really I had nothing to back it up so I had an idea.
So we, as a family, read the Bible every night. “Awe, That’s so great.” People tell me, but I have to admit something, my intent was not for the benefit of my families souls or spiritual growth. If I am going to be honest here, I started to read it so I could find this angry God I kept hearing about. So, I set out on this journey and do you know what I did find? His undying love. Time and time again I seen him searching, speaking, leading, teaching and reaching out.
He told Abram do not be afraid I will protect you and your reward will be great (Genesis 15:1)
He will rejoice over you with gladness (Zephaniah 3:17)
Yes, there are moments when God did things that for some seem outrageous and over the top, but the more I read the more I realized this was a parent letting their child learn the hard way. How many of us parents have warned out children to not do something and yet they do it. I for one will stop advising them and let them learn on their own.
The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. (Numbers 14:18)
Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. (Deuteronomy 8:5)
Just as I will not abandon my children when they disobey me he will not abandon you in your moment of rebellion.
Though you are at the ends of the Earth the Lord your God would go and find you and bring you back again.( Deuteronomy 30:4)
He is patient God and a forgiving God. This is why John 3:16 is so important. The Old Testament if so full of stories where we see him constantly reaching out to us and trying to show us the way but we have failing and falling so he said I will find a lamb and I will sacrifice it to save them.
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25-26)
It really is such a beautiful story and I think so many people miss the point. It’s like when you say a word so many times it loses its meaning. Go back a look for yourself. Look for the anger and the wrath and you find it, but you will also find his love.
The Lord waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. (Isaiah 30:18)
Call to me and I will answer you. I will show you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on you own. (Jeremiah 33:3)
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