Colorful Crayons

“For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.” John 16:27

What do you think of when you hear the word “father?” For some it is a term of endearment that brings to memory moments of joy, care, and nurturing love. For others it carries with it pain, sorrow, and confusion. It is no surprise that our perception of our earthly father colors our perception of our Heavenly Father. Herein lies the challenge; do we see God the Father for who He is or do we stack Him up against an earthly example and mistakenly conclude that God the Father is like that of man? Has your perspective been colored with the wrong crayons? Maybe it’s time to get new ones. You may have been blessed with a loving, earthly example. Praise your Heavenly Father, for He is good. Maybe for you your earthly father has been a source of pain and longing. You can still praise your Heavenly Father, because He cares for you.

God is a loving Father whose thoughts are for the wellbeing of His children. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). The love He gives us is lavished on us. Lavished love is grand, elaborate, never skimpy or weak. This is the love He has for you; forever and for always. Psalm 86:15 gives us a beautiful picture of the love our Father in heaven has for us; “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Wow! Packed powerfully in this one verse we see how our Heavenly Father cherishes us. He is everything a Father can be. 1) Compassionate: His compassion means He is understanding, caring, loving. 2) He is gracious. He extends kindness and mercy. 3) He is slow to anger. His patience and long suffering extend beyond the limitations of human experience. 4) Abounding in love. He offers a rich, limitless supply of love that is not withheld or denied. It is not based on our performance but is freely given. 5) He is faithful. What He said He will do, He will do! He is not like man that He should lie. “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19). Your Heavenly Father can be trusted, believed in and depended upon. The love of your Heavenly Father is constant, stable, dependable, and sure. Have you been coloring your world in black and white? Maybe it’s time to toss the black, the white, and yes, even the gray. Grab the bright, the colorful, even sparkly colors and let Your Heavenly Father show you the beautiful tapestry your life can be when you simply rest in Him. There are no limits (Jeremiah 31:3), no condemnation (Romans 8:1), and no restrictions (Hosea 14:4) to the love of God. Color your world beautiful and don’t be afraid to color outside of the lines!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I marvel at the great love that You have for me. I rest in the calm assurance that You will never leave or abandon me. You have called me as Your own. I am Your child. You are my Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.