The old saying goes “a picture is worth a thousand words” and while that is true, a picture can also be worth so much more than it seems.  Ironically, this is a picture of my Dad taking a picture, but to me it means more than that.  I recently read the following written by a friend named Liz at church and it captures this so much…

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My Abba Father Holds My Hand

As a little girl, I always considered myself to be a daddy’s girl. I loved nothing more than being next to my daddy and holding tightly to his hand with him holding tightly to mine. This morning, as I was sitting in my quiet place, I envisioned myself as a little girl again. I was doing the thing that I loved to do the most. I can still remember the smell of those rugged, strong hands. When I would walk away, I could still smell his scent on my hands. As a little girl, I loved that scent. That scent gave me the feeling that my daddy was always with me.

While my earthly father is no longer here, I was reminded once more this morning that the love of my heavenly Father will never be taken away! You see, He holds my hand continually! Isaiah 45:1 says, “Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus (to Liz), whose right hand I have grasped…” He wants nothing more from me than for me to crave to be in His presence, to hold His hand, and to receive the scent of His presence. As I walk away from that place, I still carry the scent of being in His presence.

As I went to that secret place today, I tried to determine that I wasn’t going to ask for anything. I just wanted to sit in His presence. I walked away with so much more than I ever imagined.

How many times has He tried to take my hand when I’ve been determined to do it myself? I probably can’t count that high! We all do that though. That’s what Adam & Eve did in the Garden of Eden. I picture a child yanking his hand away from the parent in defiance. That’s what I’ve done so many times. Yet, my Father says He will never leave nor forsake me. He’s always right there just waiting for me the see Him and let Him take my hand once again.

Isaiah 43:25 – “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Notice, He does everything good in me for His own sake! He made me. He has every right to do whatever He pleases for His glory.

As flawed as I am as a parent, I still love for my “children” to just want to be with me. I love being in their presence. How much more does my heavenly Father want me to just come to Him just because I want to BE with Him! That presence is what was lost in the Garden of Eden due to Adam and Eve’s rebellion. That presence is what was purchased back by the precious blood of Jesus as He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Because of Jesus, those of us who have surrendered our lives in exchange for His can now boldly enter back into the presence of our loving heavenly Father. May we live longing to be in His presence, grasping to His hand, and walking away with the scent of His presence. It’s all about relationship…NOT religion!

Elizabeth Williams

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Oh how this captured my heart because I always thought of myself as a Daddy’s girl too.  His hands were always big and rugged, scarred from working with them all his life.  And the smell, usually always of sawdust from working with wood.  I would spend time with him at his shop when I was young and he would sing out “DeAnn Sanders is a good ‘ole girl.”  I am confident of my Daddy’s love for me, even now at a much older age. So it is easier for me to come to a better understanding of God’s love for me. My dad has always been there for me and I know to this day, he is only a phone call away if I ever needed him.  There are others who are not so lucky and I’m sure that can distort their view of God, our Heavenly Father.  Their fathers may have been harsh, unloving or even absent and that is how they think God is or can be.  But oh, how wrong that view of God is.  Like the story says above, He loves us, He longs to spend time with us and we can be confident in His love for us! 

God’s love is:

Unfailing (it does not fail)
Merciful (not getting what we deserve)
Full of Grace (giving us what we don’t deserve)
Long-suffering (He puts up with a lot)
Faithful (He keeps His promises)

The list can go on and on but the main way He shows us love is found in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He loved us enough to send His own perfect Son to die because we cannot be perfect. Jesus took the punishment that I deserve so that I would never have to experience God’s wrath.  Believing that Jesus took on this punishment for me now lets me relish in my Heavenly Father’s love. Thank you to my dad for being the picture of it – it is worth so much.

(Written August 23, 2019)