How accessible is God, your Heavenly Father? God loves us and He desires to be near to us. In fact in the relationships He has with the people in the bible He says “fear not for I am with you“. Such reassuring words but do we really believe Him? The fact that Jesus always referred to God as ‘our father‘ when teaching and talking to the crowd is an indication of how much God wanted to be relevant in our lives. In a typical African setting, fathers rarely admit to be parents of children who are not considered well-behaved nor successful. And yet God wanted to be recognised as our Dad even though we were still sinners. That set a high premium on the value of our lives.
What does accessible look like? I have an interesting example. When I tell my children that I will be gone for the day and do not want to be disturbed. It is interesting how this information does not stop them from reaching out to me. What is even more telling are my actions. I assume it is important enough to me that I don’t scold them for reaching out. Instead I find the earliest opportunity available to get back in touch with them. I am accessible to my children and I believe that my Heavenly Father who is perfect in all His ways allows me to interrupt His day. Irrespective of the severity of the crisis He may be dealing with at the time.
A telling sign that God is accessible is that He is ever ready to help. It may have all gone badly, you may have failed to stick to the plan but at the moment you cry out to God, help is sent. Help is a complete prayer. What I have found challenging in my life and what I seek to change, is my readiness to acknowledge and accept this help. Reasons that I may not readily receive this help vary from it has not come in a packaging that I easily recognise. It is the help or answer that I did not want to receive. It is the kind of thing that I will push me out of my cushy comfort zone. Or it is the kind of help that will create a change in me that I do not believe I am ready for.
So this week I challenge you to receive the help in the way the Lord gives it without question, trusting Him as a child would their parent or Father.
This book is a heartwarming, contemporary love story between a man and a woman contemplating a life together.