The genuine heart of God

For some people, they struggle to see God as a loving God. They have either had very bad experiences with parents or perhaps even with some churches, and so their picture of God is very harsh. When we look through the Bible, we can understand how we could see God in this way, but there are equally many scriptures that reveal the true heart of the Father.

Take for example, a few of the following verses. They speak to me of a God who cares, and who has a genuine heart of compassion for his people. 

Luke 13:34 - “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 

Luke 15:1-3 - Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

Isaiah 40:11- He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.

Thought: Does this help you see God in a different way? 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Remembering God through the night

"On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings." - Psalm 63:6-7

The first impression I get from these verses is of David struggling to sleep. As he lies awake at night - perhaps fearing for his life or just thinking about his troubles, so he turns to God. He remembers God and that God has been with him in the past. We also know that the 'night' was considered to a symbol of evil and the demonic world, so David allows his thoughts to turn to God in these dark times, rather than dwell on the evil around him.

The picture of a tiny bird singing in the shelter of her mother's wings comes to my mind as I read through the second part of the passage. The chick is vulnerable and afraid, yet it is able to sing because it has the reassurance of its mother close by. 

How does this make you feel at the moment? Can you relate in anyway?

Eugene Peterson paraphrases these verses in this way:

If I’m sleepless at midnight,
    I spend the hours in grateful reflection.
Because you’ve always stood up for me,
    I’m free to run and play.

Living in Grace

D3LM3