For God So Hugged The World
Sunday in a sermon my minister used the term, "for God so hugged the world." I love that and it got me thinking. It was so wonderful when my girls were little and they were hurt or sad and I could fix it all with a kiss and a hug! A little while in my lap fixed all kinds of things. Even though they were too young to know, they knew they were safe with me and they trusted me to take care of everything. And when I was a little girl and had a bad dream my mom could fix it! She would lay down with me and just knowing she was there I could relax and go back to sleep.
I bet that is a tiny glimpse of how God feels about us. I am sure He is thrilled when we come to him with our burdens. 1 Peter 5: 7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." How many times do I sit and cry and hurt for a while before I go to Him? How long do I lie there wide awake because I am fearing something? How long do I carry that burden before I decide to give it to Him? Too long!
When we are trying to do it all ourselves we will experience emotional and spiritual fatigue. This happens because we were not created to do this. We were made to lean on God. When we let Him hug us we are content and confident that we are where we need to be....in His presence. We will never be too old to climb up in our Heavenly Father's lap. When I finally get to that point I try to picture me sitting on God's lap and Him wrapping His arms around me. When I lie there awake at night I picture myself in His hands as I rock to sleep. These visuals work for me.
Exodus 14: 13-14, "Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.'” Instead of trying to control every detail of their escape plan, Moses told them, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm … the LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." And God rescued them just like He will do for us!
When we trust God to take care of our lives and trust that He knows best, we are able to rest and ultimately experience peace. Psalm 46: 10, "He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'” This can be difficult when life is tough but if we choose to let God hold us, we will find, peace, rest, contentment and love filling us up!
Colossians 1: 17, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." We can trust and know that He’s got everything under control. After all, He does know what is best for each one of us. Jeremiah 29: 11, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
God holds the whole world in His hands — that includes us. Focus on Him. Wait and trust God to take care of you. Jeremiah 29: 13, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." When was the last time you crawled up on your Heavenly Father's lap and felt His arms wrap around you? His hugs can fix everything!