Discovering His Everlasting Love
My Dad’s involvement with us when we were growing up was very limited because of his hearing loss. I took this personally and interpreted it to mean that he was aloof and didn’t care. Beyond my teen years I started to understand intellectually that he loved me very much. After his passing, looking at all the family pictures I got this realization on an emotional level, in my heart. He engaged in conversation the best he could with his hearing problem. He took special delight in children because he could relate to them without having to hear and respond to conversation. Play became his natural way to communicate.
In all the family pictures I see the joy of love that fills his face when he played with his Grandchildren, Tim, Emily, Amy, Jamie, Robin, Matthew Melody and Katrina.
I see the same joy of love makes his eyes shine when he played with his Great Grandchild Domenic.
I know that same joy filled his face and heart at the birth of Rick, then Dave, then Merrily.
The day of my birth, the very first time he saw me, he smiled that completely joyous smile of his
He loved me with all the love he had in his heart.
I realize now that he loved me that way for my whole life. This has been a great blessing to me.
What about the love of God toward us? Do we make the times he is silent to mean that He is not aware of our circumstance or that He does not care? Do we doubt His love when we think He doesn't hear us, or when we think that we have failed Him?
To truly discover the love of God we must put away our own interpretation and open our minds and hearts to rely on His Word and the leading of the Holy spirit.
“In slight anger, for a moment, I hid My face from you;
but with kindness everlasting I will take you back in love.” Isaiah 54:8 Tenach
“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
says the LORD who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 NASB
Though these verses apply to the people of Israel, the principle applies to us as spiritual Israel.
We may experience natural consequences for the sin in our lives, and they are the teaching tool of our Heavenly Father, and a SIGN of His love. Hebrews 12:5 His love remains faithful through it all, regardless of how it appears, as we claim it by conviction of faith with or without emotion. (The practice of gratitude can help the joining of faith and feeling. More on that another time.)
Why do you say, O Jacob, why declare, O Israel,
“My way is hid from the LORD, my cause is ignored by my God”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is God from of old, Creator of the earth from end to end,
He never grows faint or weary, His wisdom cannot be fathomed.
He gives strength to the weary, fresh vigor to the spent.
Youths may grow faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
But they who trust in the LORD shall renew their strength…Isaiah 40:27-31
In all the family pictures I see the joy of love that fills his face when he played with his Grandchildren, Tim, Emily, Amy, Jamie, Robin, Matthew Melody and Katrina.
I see the same joy of love makes his eyes shine when he played with his Great Grandchild Domenic.
I know that same joy filled his face and heart at the birth of Rick, then Dave, then Merrily.
The day of my birth, the very first time he saw me, he smiled that completely joyous smile of his
He loved me with all the love he had in his heart.
I realize now that he loved me that way for my whole life. This has been a great blessing to me.
What about the love of God toward us? Do we make the times he is silent to mean that He is not aware of our circumstance or that He does not care? Do we doubt His love when we think He doesn't hear us, or when we think that we have failed Him?
To truly discover the love of God we must put away our own interpretation and open our minds and hearts to rely on His Word and the leading of the Holy spirit.
“In slight anger, for a moment, I hid My face from you;
but with kindness everlasting I will take you back in love.” Isaiah 54:8 Tenach
“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
says the LORD who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10 NASB
Though these verses apply to the people of Israel, the principle applies to us as spiritual Israel.
We may experience natural consequences for the sin in our lives, and they are the teaching tool of our Heavenly Father, and a SIGN of His love. Hebrews 12:5 His love remains faithful through it all, regardless of how it appears, as we claim it by conviction of faith with or without emotion. (The practice of gratitude can help the joining of faith and feeling. More on that another time.)
Why do you say, O Jacob, why declare, O Israel,
“My way is hid from the LORD, my cause is ignored by my God”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The LORD is God from of old, Creator of the earth from end to end,
He never grows faint or weary, His wisdom cannot be fathomed.
He gives strength to the weary, fresh vigor to the spent.
Youths may grow faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
But they who trust in the LORD shall renew their strength…Isaiah 40:27-31
