By Faith
This is a ongoing theme that God continues to work on in my heart. He is so good and reveals new insights from scripture at just the right moments. Through the adoption journey I have seen over and over again how a child needs that connection with you as a parent to attach and bond well, this is true for any child! This is way easier said than done, so I have witnessed. This thought for me is so easily related to our relationship with the Lord. Isn't that what Jesus has? A connection with his Father? Aren't we offered that same connection with the same Father. "And because we are his children, God has sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." Now you are no longer slaves but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir."-Galations4:6&7. I am so moved by the thought that we were adopted and and the Lord has offered not a distant relationship but one of the sweetest earthly relationships. For the last year or so this aspect of the relationship with the Father has been what I see worked out in my life. More recently I have began to understand a another layer that is pivotal in relationship. We are asked to have faith, I translate this to mean trust in our Father. I need to trust as a child trusts their parent. This is so beautiful when I see one of my children trust me, I mean really trust. This also is so upsetting and frustrating when one of your children has a lack of trust in you as a parent. My dad this last week noted a thought during a a Story Form Life group we attended together, I have been processing since. We as a group were reflecting on Jesus' time on earth and my dad said he has often tried to understand what it means for Jesus to be fully God and fully man, good question. As we observed Jesus' life it seemed apparent that Jesus often went off to have a time with his Father and through his relationship and connection with his father many miracles and wisdom could be offered. After He was left in Nazareth by Joseph and Mary and than found in the temple scripture notes "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."Luke 2:52 . What does this mean? Did Jesus have room for growth in wisdom, stature and favor with God? I am not going to make absolute conclusions about all of this but I am challenged by the thought that I have the same access to the same toolbox that Jesus had. As Jesus grew maybe that relationship part with the father took time to grow in wisdom and faith? I can relate with this. My dad's thought he shared was that maybe that's all Jesus had a toolbox that included a relationship with the Father, connection that leads to faith.
I read Hebrews 11 today, it's all about faith. We are told about dozens of people in the Old testament who acted in faith. "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and he rewards those who sincerely seek him."Hebrews 11:6 , ugh so simple but yet so hard to act in faith sometimes!
I can see the Lord in the past has rocked my world with faith steps and when accepted ended in growth but I have a good feeling that the future holds a crazy adventure that will require many faith steps. I ended my time this morning reading in the same chapter verse 32-40 and was so pumped about what adventure God has in store for me. Lord rock my world as you did for those who came before us!
