Our Father

Sitting on the balcony of our hotel room on the 8th floor, as I look down at everyone in the pool area, I watch a family by the pool. I see a mom chasing her little boy around the pool, trying to get him to put his life vest on. He ran fast around the pool to avoid her. All the while, I could see dad standing nearby watching them. Next thing, the little boy slips and falls. He must've gotten hurt because he started crying loudly and holding his arms up to his parents. His Daddy ran over to him, gently picked him up and held him close, while mom walked over to comfort him,too.

I just finished reading my Bible, finished my prayer and was just meditating on what I just read as I watched this whole scene unfold eight floors below me. I watch everyone enjoying the pool and thinking about God and how he knows the intricate parts of every person's life, their thoughts, their hearts.  I can only see about 20 people from my balcony, but God sees millions upon millions of people on His earth. And He knows every detail of every one of us.  I start to wonder what I would do if I see one of my kids in the pool area in danger or hurt. What can I do from this distance? I would give my life for them, but what can I do if I cannot reach them in time?

I start to think of how much God loves us, of all the sin he observes here, of all the evil and pain. My thoughts go in every direction trying to understand God, His ways and His thoughts. I could never understand our God completely. He and He alone is God. But I know His word tells me that we are created in His image.

My mind goes back to that scene I saw earlier. Dad could've picked up that little boy and simply forced him to put on that life vest. After all, he's doing it to protect his son. His little boy may not understand the importance of the life vest, but dad does. Dad also needs to teach him to obey for his own safety and to respect those in authority over him for his good. And besides, dad is much bigger than his little boy. In this case, however, and for whatever reason, dad did not force this little boy and the little boy fell and got hurt. How often have we stepped outside of the boundaries God sets for us, knowing full well they're for our protection, or not giving it a second thought, or avoiding that perceived confinement, or just wanting to do "what I feel like doing because I can handle it"?  And yet we fall, we fail, we get hurt? What does our Abba Father do? Does he say, "I told you so"? Does he kick us when we're down? Does he ignore us when we cry out to him? I know from my own experience that when I cry out to my Abba Father, when I hold my arms up to Him, when I surrender all to Him, He makes all things right.

Like that little boy avoiding his mom and that life vest, in the same way we avoid God. For some it's running from God and not accepting the life vest that is Jesus and His Holy Spirit. For others it's just avoiding God's word, which guards our mind. Instead we want to run around and avoid what we think of as confinement. We want to run free. Yet His Word is what gives us real freedom to swim in what otherwise would be dangerous waters.  What we perceive as confinement is what sets us free to enjoy the full area without danger of death. God's word helps us demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2Corinthians 10:5
Ephesians 6:11 tells us to put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Part of the armor of God is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Who would think of going into battle without a weapon?  Now, you may say, "But I'm not in a battle. I'm having a great time by the pool." When God says to put on the armor of God, He follows it with this: so that WHEN the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm!