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The Complexity of God - Part 3 Everlasting Father
by Amanda Gray In times when I have had to dig deep to cope with life, God has always provided stability and rest. He has given me landing places, a hand to hold, to steady me in the storm. During one of my most challenging struggles, he took me to Isaiah 9:6 to meditate for many months on the significance of his names. Elsewhere I have written about what I learnt of God, our Wonderful Counsellor and Mighty God. Here I want to share what I learnt of God, our Everlasting Father. My journey started with the familiar ring of the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). This is enveloped in the beautiful, uplifting and challenging words of the sermon on the mount, each word aimed at helping us cope with the challenges of earthly life. "This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." (Matthew 6:9 NIV) He is our heavenly Father. While he cares for our earthly health, his focus is the spiritual. I have learnt that seeking earthly goals, prioritising them over the eternal, will often lead to disappointment. Not that God has let me down, but I have taken my eyes off him. Seeking God and his kingdom can never disappoint (Matthew 6:33). With our eyes set on him, everything else seems unimportant. Earthly cares fade away as our desires become wrapped up in knowing and growing closer to him. If that is our desire, then truly the desires of our heart will be fulfilled (Psalm 37:4). "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10 NIV) Ephesians 6:1,2 contains the familiar command that we honour and obey our earthly fathers, to submit to their will. Why? Because they are provided as God's representatives to lead us until we have enough experience to wisely and safely make our own life choices. Obedience requires trust. So if we are expected to trust our earthly, erring fathers, how much more benefit will we gain from trusting our eternal, unerring Father! We have a multitude of witnesses throughout history that give us reason after reason to submit to his will (Hebrews 11,12). He is trustworthy, their stories cry! We can draw confidence from history because he is everlastingly the same (Hebrews 13:8). That is not to say that each of us will have the same earthly experiences. Hebrews 11 clearly shows that. The victory of faith takes many earthly forms from seeing miracles in earthly life to remaining faithful despite earthly trials. But in all this God's intent is the same to ensure victory over sin and darkness, to aim for the perfection of our faith (Hebrews 12). "Give us today our daily bread." (Matthew 6:11 NIV) It is so tempting, in the midst of spiritual battles, to be distracted by earthly things. Where will my next meal come from? How will I afford my clothes? Where will I live? I am happy to stand up with other witnesses that, as promised, God takes care of these things when your heart, soul and mind are set on him (Matthew 6). One of the greatest challenges at the beginning of my re-commitment to God in my adult life was to let go of the financial concerns that were driving my choices. I was challenged to follow his will rather than what seemed to be financially, earthly wise. God has always opened doors to employment that has suited to his plan for my life, and catered for my fluctuating health. In following him, my needs have always been met. As Jesus said, "if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith?" (Matthew 6:30 Amp). "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." (Matthew 6:12 NIV) God, our father, is our loving disciplinarian. In everything we experience, he is teaching us, honing us, strengthening our faith. But always with love and mercy. This doesn't mean it won't hurt, but it does mean it won't destroy us. We can trust him to help us through the trials that are moulding us into his image. For "we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we yielded to them and respected them for training us. Shall we not much more cheerfully submit to the Father of spirits and so truly live?" (Hebrews 12:9 Amp) We are sinful creatures by nature. But God has redeemed those who have faith in his Son. We are redeemed, but are still in the world. We are no longer condemned in his kingdom, but on earth we live with the echoes of sin (Romans 8). On earth we are refined, perfected (Hebrews 12). In heaven we are released. But to receive mercy and forgiveness, we must be merciful. Condemn others, judging them according to strict rules, and you will be judged by your own measure (Matthew 7:1,2). I have learnt from experience that holding others up to unachievable standards, expecting perfection, can only lead to disappointment. It will also lead to self-condemnation as we try to live up to these impossible standards in order to avoid hypocrisy. I try my best, but I know I will fall. I am weak and human, but my God knows all. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us form the evil one." (Matthew 6:13 NIV) There are two images of God that have spread warmth and comfort into my life many times. These images have consistently sustained me in the blackest, most draining struggles. They have brought me rest even in the most chaotic battle. The first is the image of God as a mother hen, desperately wanting to gather under his wing those chicks have strayed perilously away (Luke 13:34). I have this image of curling up one hand of God, covered by the other. Not trapped, but snug and secure, hugged and warm, protected and ensured that I cannot be dislodged. The second image is of a battle with the worst of nature, putting every last ounce of strength into staying on the right path. I see myself getting to the end of endurance, with no strength left to fight. I am about to be blown away, carried off by life's weather. Then suddenly a platform appears. It is light, it is stable, it is calm and peaceful. I just have to step onto it to be lifted out of the battle (1 Corinthians 10:13). My heavenly Father knows my limits, and he knows yours. He provides an escape, a way to flee, to run from the temptations of life, from dilemmas to be free (2 Timothy 2:22). It is only then, as we cry out and surrender, that we know the extent of his strength (2 Corinthians 12). So we have an Everlasting Father, consistent through the ages. A leader, a teacher, a provider, a protector. A Father who cannot fail. A Father from whose love we cannot be separated (Romans 8:37-39). "For the Spirit which you have now received is not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, the Spirit producing sonship, in the bliss of which we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (Romans 8:15 Amp) c Amanda Gray 2009 Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace -available as a free reprints. Also find Amanda's children's book about bullying at ebooks.faithwriters.com (children category: "Dave is Brave"). This is inspired by David and Goliath's story in 1Sam17. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |