Picture this, I said to a friend who so wants to feel God's presence more in his life, really wants to feel himself a loved child of God: when I was a little girl, was fortunate in having a daddy who loved me and to the best of his limited income, met the needs of his family. Now, what if I had doubted this love, felt he wasn't to be trusted to take care of me, turned aside to others when I had a problem. Can you imagine how this would have grieved my human father?
And yet, when we doubt Jesus' assurances of our heavenly Father's love for us, it is much like this. To reject our Saviour's teachings as passe is a slap in our Father's face, is it not? How can we please God when we are, in effect, turning our back on Him by dismissing the glorious promises He gave to His Son to give to us? I read once that God is not going to force Himself upon us, that we have to be willing to turn to Him for all the blessings He awaits to pour out on us. And how do these infinite blessings come to us? Only through taking Christ at His word, only through accepting wholeheartedly what Jesus came to reveal to mankind.
And this leads to an all-important point: we have to accept that God's love applies to us individually. We have to believe that God's love covers us, covers you and me--not just people generally. I well recall when it finally dawned on me that all the wonderful statements I had read for years about God's love and care covered me. I had just come out of a phonebooth in Wellesley, MA from calling to see if my husband's plane was on time, to meet him at the train station when like a thunderclap, I saw: why these promises mean me! God really will help me. I am worthy of His help -- me, myself and I. Of course, words can't describe what that felt like, but I wanted to skip down the street with the joy of it all.
Life has not been the same after this, and I would say to any person reading this: keep at it until the same heavenly sense dawns on you. It will bring blessings you can only imagine. Some things have to be taken on faith, because of Who it is that said it. And if the Father's love for you is one of them, take Jesus' words on faith until they light up your life. God has made it crystal clear through His beloved Son whom He wants us to heed.
