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)
During some periods
in my life, I’ve lived in a vague uneasiness about myself. I’ve felt a
restlessness, an unsettledness within that was hard to pin down or identify.
Eventually I
realized this stemmed from a clouding of my relationship with God. Though I had
not totally rejected Him, I was reluctant to face Him, afraid to stand before
Him unhidden. Perhaps I had let Satan steal my confidence through his false
accusations. Or perhaps sin had crept in, and I knew deep within that I hadn’t
been living as I should. As a result, guilt had separated me from a full,
joyful relationship with God. I was hesitant to look into His face.
If you’ve ever
experienced these feelings, try something with me. Close your eyes and bow your
head, and see yourself standing before Him right now. In your heart look Him
straight in the face and say, “God, I am Your creation.”
Go ahead, try it.
Listen. How does
your heart respond when you say that?
I have a sense of
being a child, standing before my Father, with my arms outstretched, looking up
into His face. No matter what my struggles, He understands me. My sins and
failures have not dampened His love. I’m enveloped in acceptance, an affection,
a belonging that goes deeper than my childish inadequacies.
When our children
fail or get in trouble, we don’t want them to hide from us or go to other
sources for help. It hurts and frustrates our hearts when they won’t share
themselves with us, even when they fall. We long for them to come to us and be
assured of our love, understanding, and total support, no matter what they’ve
done. Our Father is the same with us. We are His. Though sin brings a cloud and
a separation from Him, the separation is on our end, not His. The love and
acceptance still exist. He yearns for us to turn to Him again.
As I stand before
Him as my Creator, realizing I am His very own, worship becomes a living
relationship. At such times, words are unnecessary. Communication lines are
open from heart to heart, without the formalities of speech. The love I sense
for Him is worship. That trust growing within me is the adoration He desires.
Standing there, I
long to live always in His presence, in that unbroken fellowship with Him. Sin
appears now as foolish and destructive, soiling that beautiful, living
relationship. I want Him to seal all my affections forever as His very own. I
want to live fully and freely before Him—naturally, as His love designed.
And in that love, I
want to glorify Him in every way I can. Creation so beautifully and lavishly
glorifies Him, singing constantly of His power, His wisdom, His love. As His
creation, I want to take my place in that symphony.
We are His
creation, His children. That warm, open relationship is what He wants most for
us, and with us. He only asks that we trust Him—trust Him enough to come to Him
immediately and repent when we have sinned; trust Him enough to bring Him our
needs and concerns; trust Him enough to obey His words of love.
He is a wonderful
Father!
Father, You have placed
Your Almighty, holy name on us.
We are cleansed,
protected,
equipped,
exalted, and
forever set apart as Your very own.
Thank You, Father!
