Greetings,
I talked with a young lady today who has been through many foster care homes and has only recently been placed in a “forever home.” She is 14 and is thoughtful and intelligent. We began talking about what she thinks about when someone says that she is God’s child and what that makes her feel. She said it doesn’t make a lot of sense to her. She can recognize it as it relates to other people but she doesn’t really know what that means for her personally.
I find myself thinking often that if people understand that God is their father, they should find security in that. If people just realized that in Christ’s eyes they are significant, secure and accepted, they would be able to rest in that identity. What this girl reminded me is that without a positive fatherly experience, a personal and practical application of God as a protector, defender, provider, comforter and approachable is nearly impossible.
If I said, "draw a tiger," you probably could draw something that could be distinguishable as a tiger. What if I asked you what a tiger sounds like when it is happy? Or what belly of a tiger feels like? Or what is it like to have a tiger lying in your lap? Very few people could tell me because only a few of us have experienced that. I could explain to you the chuffing sound they make when they are happy. I could describe something similar in feel to the underbelly of a tiger. I could describe the awe of having a tiger laying across your lap as you hug it and pet it. All of it falls short of experiencing it yourself.
Most everyone knows what the responsibility of a father is supposed to be, even if you’ve never had one or if you had a bad one. But not everyone has experienced the love of a father. What does it mean to be God’s child to a person who has never known what it is like to be anyone’s child? That is a tough emotional puzzle to solve.
Psalm 139 describes an amazing display of who God is and His care for me. I told this young lady to read it and apply it to her. That God wants her to know that she is valuable, significant, accepted and secure even if she doesn’t feel it. Give it a try. Maybe you didn’t have a good dad or any dad. Maybe you relate well with this young lady. It could be that God wants to say to you today, "You are valuable; you are significant; you are accepted; and you are secure."
If I said, "draw a tiger," you probably could draw something that could be distinguishable as a tiger. What if I asked you what a tiger sounds like when it is happy? Or what belly of a tiger feels like? Or what is it like to have a tiger lying in your lap? Very few people could tell me because only a few of us have experienced that. I could explain to you the chuffing sound they make when they are happy. I could describe something similar in feel to the underbelly of a tiger. I could describe the awe of having a tiger laying across your lap as you hug it and pet it. All of it falls short of experiencing it yourself.
Most everyone knows what the responsibility of a father is supposed to be, even if you’ve never had one or if you had a bad one. But not everyone has experienced the love of a father. What does it mean to be God’s child to a person who has never known what it is like to be anyone’s child? That is a tough emotional puzzle to solve.
Psalm 139 describes an amazing display of who God is and His care for me. I told this young lady to read it and apply it to her. That God wants her to know that she is valuable, significant, accepted and secure even if she doesn’t feel it. Give it a try. Maybe you didn’t have a good dad or any dad. Maybe you relate well with this young lady. It could be that God wants to say to you today, "You are valuable; you are significant; you are accepted; and you are secure."
If you trust that Jesus took the penalty for your sins on himself, if you believe that he rose from the dead, claiming victory over the enemy and over death--if you believe that in your heart and confess it with your mouth, you are indeed a child of God and this message is for you.
I love you,
Chris
I love you,
Chris
