The Love of a Father

I look up and smile, my hand tightly holding onto his hand. Secure, content, without a worry in this world. He looks down and encourages me, speaking words of wisdom and instructions of care and discipline. 

Mathew 7:11 says, ‘If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask?” 

We are imperfect individuals. I am blessed to have had a wonderful father and now I love seeing how much my husband dotes on our baby. Yet, many have experienced just how imperfect their fathers were and have felt the loss of the love, security, respect, care and discipline a father brings to the family. 

Jesus speaks to the crowds gathered on a mountainside. He teaches them characteristics of holiness, purity, peacefulness, meekness, to thirst after righteousnesses. He teaches them how to live, to be a light to others and how to pray. Jesus talks of who He is, the fulfillment of the law. We by our own efforts can not be righteous but only through the righteousness of Jesus. He tells those in the crowds that even the pharisees and teachers of the law though they attempt to keep each and every command can not enter into heaven. One would have to be even better than that. 

Impossibly perfect.  

Instructions, law, rules given to the lawless. Hearts deceived. Minds impure. Don’t kill. No! Don’t even hate! Don’t commit adultery. No! Don’t even lust in your heart! If you are persecuted, be glad and rejoice. Love your enemies. 

Forgive. 

Jesus knows our hearts, He knows our thoughts, what we hold most dearly and treasure and all our deepest worries. 

If we being evil still know how to give good gifts, how much more does our Heavenly Father give. 

Laws, rules, instructions are given to those who are in need of guidance. Jesus reminds them from the beginning that He is the fulfillment of the law. This gives us hope. Rule breaking, lawlessness, deceitfulness lies in the very heart of humans. We work to be good. We work to overcome evil with good. We work to turn our hearts to purity, integrity and we pray for virtue. Our endeavors struggle to keep up the facade of good. Even our good is not good enough. Our perfection never is. Through Christ Jesus we find solace and ease in knowing that simple faith and a quiet trust brings us under the cover of His righteousness. 

Ask, seek and knock not for things that bring us temporary satisfaction, not for us to have a more efficient performance of good. Keep asking for mercy, seek after His grace and knock on the door of salvation. You will receive mercies renewed each morning that will give you strength to face each new challenging day. You will find grace that is sufficient for you to see beauty in the day-to-day and rest amidst the strife.  You will find the door of redemption open, allowing you to see, know and feel the perfect freeing love of a perfect Heavenly Father. 

Hold on, trusting in the secure faith of the faithful loving Heavenly Father. 

A glorious redemption

Last Easter, we woke up to the news that churches and hotels in Sri Lanka were bombed by terrorist extremists trying to deter Christians. Churches were closed for several weeks. Many lost their lives while worshipping the risen Jesus, their Saviour. In one Church, during the children’s Sunday school little ones sang praises to the Lord, they raised their hands to show that they would give their lives for Jesus. Moments later the children lost their lives as a person filled with hate detonated a bomb selfishly, cowardly. 

This Easter, churches around the world are physically closed because of a viral pandemic. There is an enemy not just a virus nor one of literal flesh and blood but of spiritual darkness.

Our eyes are hopefully opened to the need of a healer, restorer, savior. Reliance on our own depraved works is not sufficient.

The world has come to a stop, our lives which were laboring daily to survive, has stalled. 

Circumstances, finances, health held in a delicate balance at its tipping point. 

Enlightening us of the deficiency within us and the imperfections of who we are. 

Light shines on the darkness and in eager hunger for truth and light we turn towards the knowledge of God. 

Desire for God comes by rejection of the love of darkness. 

The death of Jesus on the cross brought a deep darkness upon the earth. The hearts of those who hated the truth embraced the darkness that engulfed them. Their hearts quivered in fear but not of God. Their lives lost to the emptiness of the world. Death came. Darkness surrounded, inescapable. Lost was the light that had come. Late was the day of rejoicing. Gone was the hope of victory. 

In His mercy, the sparks of a light flickered, glimmered and shone through, igniting a revolutionary joy. One found not in human conquest but in the glorious nature of God. Jesus resurrected to life in body and spirit. 

God’s majesty and sovereignty revealed both in the death and bringing back to life. 

Though darkness surrounded the earth and the earth appeared void, a light was there. The Spirit of God lingered. 

In love by grace he provided a way for us to be redeemed. Believe in faith that Christ was raised from the dead. Cast off the shadows of the darkness, the death of sin and love of hate. Embrace instead and surrender our love to the glory of God’s love and redemption that eclipses the sinful poverty of our souls. 

A viral change of behavior

I’m so grateful to have seen a few different parts of the world but many places yet to see. Traveling provides a perspective into different cultures, practices and people groups. This pandemic has shown how connected we are in this current era. Our travels bring us near and far closer together. Technology brings us global neighbors. Our actions have very tangible consequences as seen in this pandemic. Actions created from habits that have been created by characteristics influenced culturally or familial. Innate tendencies and environmental impact. 

Our lives are interconnected in some big and some small ways. A small gesture of greeting trickles down to a waterfall of sickness. A small gesture of greeting, a handshake, a hug would previously hope to lead to a waterfall of pay it forwards of sharing and caring. Now, we are all confined to our small spaces. 

Actions, habits, behaviors may change with the new environmental influences but our innate characteristics of caring, sharing, and loving others hopefully doesn’t. Despite our confined isolation we can still be connected in communities larger than ourselves and continue to cause those cascading waterfalls of hope, love and care. What can I do for another? This happens to be the theme of Holy Week. Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice for us to have an eternal impact of love, faithfulness and peace. An impact that transcends cultures and is given for all people. 

Salvation and surrender at the foot of the cross brings us all closer as it breaks down gender disparities, cultural conflicts, and socioeconomic barriers bringing us all equally content following in the footsteps of our Savior.