Impressing Daddy

Impressing Daddy

Selah, our grand-daughter, is just one year old, but she’s already tuned in on how to please her Daddy.  When she gets his eye, she dances for him, smiling at his words of praise. Though she cannot explain her actions, she is delighted by his approval, so she works on winning his affection.  It is a wonderful thing to see that love exchange, a daughter bringing delight to her Daddy who showers her with his love. The not-so-great fact is that in a few years she will, being an ordinary human being, try to manipulate her Dad by being cute while getting her own way!  But, once the teenage years are past, the relationship will mature. Selah will realize that Daddy’s love is unconditional and Sean will become her true friend, knowing her joys and her disappointments, sharing her successes and helping her in the inevitable failures.

Our Abba (“Daddy” in the NT) showers us with love. He delights in us and we learn to respond to Him. It can be a beautiful thing but tragically too often we turn pure worship into a religious act that we foolishly believe will win the Lord’s blessings.  Somehow we become deceived into thinking that God will be impressed if we just go through the motions, that He can be manipulated by insincere acts of worship.  Like teenagers trying to have our own way while staying within His favor, we hide our real motives behind heartless prayers, insincere praise, and ritual religion.  The only one fooled is us. Abba’s love is deep and wide. He wants to share all  of life with us – the good, the bad, the beautiful, the ugly.  Spiritual maturity brings realization that we can be authentic, even as we pursue Him, and He will be our greatest Strength.

The Truth is that He is faithfully loving us through it all!  We say,  "O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." (Isaiah 64:8, NIV)  He says, “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me.  … I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations—" (Isaiah 65:1-2, NIV)  That entire passage is a conversation about the enduring love of the Lord. Make no mistake about it.  He is not blind to sin, nor does His love rob Him of judgment.  If we ignore Him and walk willfully, there are painful consequences.  But, when we turn again to Him, we find a Father’s love.

Meditate on this passage today. May the words go deep into your heart and mind, transforming your understanding of the Love of the Lord. And, as you know Him better, you will delight in doing what He asks of you. "What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are.

But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.

But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we’ll end up!

What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we’ll see him—and in seeing him, become like him.

All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own.

All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. " (1 John 3:1-6, The Message)

Focus on the totally sufficient love of the Father for you. His is a love that keeps no score, that is freely offered, and that is wider and deeper than all our offenses against Him. THEN love Him extravagantly in response. Pour out your praise, your life, your worship to Him.  It will make a rich life!