The Heart of The Father
When you walk into my home it doesn’t take long for you to see this beautiful hardwood farm table. It’s a wonderful gift that my wife, Hunter’s Dad gave us. If you look at the table for more than 30 seconds it won’t be hard for you to see where my almost three year old son, Gideon sits because it is often coated with yogurt, guacamole, and peanut butter. There are signs of art projects and intendents from drumming with forks and spoons. My son Gideon is great but to be honest, he makes more messes than he cleans up. He has often ruined my schedule. He has made me lose countless hours of sleep. He doesn’t help with chores around the house nor does he do anything to earn money to help support our family. BUT Gideon will always be invited to my table. He is invited because he my son and I am his father, who chooses to love him, who wants him. His invitation to my table is not dependent upon his success or his failures but rather upon my love for him and his identity as my child.
You know the same is true for us as followers of Jesus. We are invited to our Fathers table simply because He loves you. We are invited into relationship with Him because the heart of The Father longs to be with you. In Romans 5:8 we are reminded that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We know we are His children because He told us through Paul’s writing in Romans 8:15-16 “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Isn’t that mind blowing that the God of the entire universe sent Jesus to save us when we were broken, dirty, and distant. He chooses to be your Father and love you. It blows my mind and warms my heart.
If that doesn’t blow your mind, get this, in Romans 8:38 we are told, “…neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And its always been God’s plan to send Jesus for us. If you read in Isaiah 61:1-2 you can read how Jesus was being sent to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners, and to comfort all who mourn. Jesus was sent for you because your Heavenly Father loves you.
In Ezekiel 36:25-28 we are reminded of this promise God has to His children, “I’ll pour pure water over you and scrub you clean. I’ll give you a new heart, put a new spirit in you. I’ll remove the stone heart from your body and replace it with a heart that’s God-willed, not self-willed. I’ll put my Spirit in you and make it possible for you to do what I tell you and live by my commands.” When we give our heart to The Father, our heart should become like The Father’s Heart. We should become more and more like Him. We should seek His will and His ways and if it breaks His heart, it should break our heart too.
May you know you are loved and invited to be your true self, a child of The Father God. You are chosen and longed for. You are called to have your stone heart replaced with a heart like your Fathers. May our heart transplant lead us to love more like Him.