I had a scary dream. I woke up afraid. I ran to the place where I knew I would find strength and comfort. But the door was locked. And my comfort didn't come. In the morning when they found me, there I was, sleeping by the door. It was a poor second, but it was as close as I could get. I must have felt some peace, knowing that mommy was behind the door, and though I couldn't touch her, I was as close as possible. If I could have, I would have thrown open the door and run into her arms.
When Jesus died on the cross the veil was torn. The veil that kept us out. The veil that granted only the purest of the pure entry. From top to bottom it was ripped. God did the tearing down...and with it He gave us access, to Him. With it He is saying, "Come in. I am here, I am for you." I am so for you! If God is for us, who can be against us? That's what Romans says. And the Psalms are full of verses talking about the goodness of God, and whenever they do, they almost always mention His mercy, His tender mercies, His forgiveness, His blessings. He is our strength,our hiding place,our stronghold...He is good and He is FOR us! When I'm afraid, His, are the arms waiting for me. His, is the truest of all comfort. I love the worship song, Forever Reign
'and Oh, I run into your arms, I run into your arms, the riches of Your love will always be enough, nothing compares to your embrace, light of the world, forever reign.'
I wonder though, and this is a matter of personal prayer. Do I really believe He is good? Do I really believe He is for me? Of course I believe it in my head. Of course I can claim a bunch of promises that say so. But do my thoughts and actions reflect that belief? If I stopped and asked Him right now to show me the areas where I don't think He is good, what would I see? What would He say? I want to know that no matter what, I can throw back the curtain or swing open the door and run to His lap and find His comforting arms at the very moment I am in conflict, fear, or pain! I know this is a process and I know He is growing me...and that's okay. It's just important to stop and ask the questions and let Him reveal those things that stand in the way of His complete embrace!
As I witnessed my 2 grand-daughters getting shots from the doctor today, I noticed how quickly they returned to joy, even after the sharp needle stuck their legs and caused pain. The little one had 3 shots, the older just 1. But still, both cried, and both were immediately comforted by their mommy. Their mommy who stood right there with them,held their hands, whispered sweet words of comfort in their ears and hugged them when the pain made them scream. A mommy whose presence made all of the difference in their return to joy. A good mommy. A present mommy. A mommy who is for her kids.
What a beautiful picture of our Abba, Papa, Daddy-God, our Heavenly Father...whose own son endured the pain, so we could be scooped up in His arms. A God who is present. A God who is near. A God who whose arms comfort and carry us through all of the inevitable pain, the fears, and even the tears in our lives. And in the end, whose arms will welcome us home. A God in whose presence we can find joy amidst the pain, and pleasures forevermore.
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