No Tiptoeing!

In almost all the houses that I have lived in there have been floorboards on the second floor that could make a seemingly deafening noise when stepped on in the quietness of night. As a child it was fun to try and dodge the squeaks and maneuver around them – a challenge of sorts. As a parent it was less of a challenge and more of a survival tactic - like dodging a ticking bomb! When a squeaky floorboard can so easily wake a sleeping baby or alert a half-asleep child that ‘something’ is going on and they are missing out – you soon become very careful in where you place your feet!

In a similar way, many of us know what it is like to tiptoe and maneuver around other people in our lives. Some of us have become experts at it. Whether it is fear or kindness that is our motivator, if we are not careful it can fast become a habit that is hard to break, and maybe even something we do without necessarily even realizing.
Something I love so much about the Lord is that we don’t ever have to tiptoe or maneuver around Him. There is no question about our acceptance and His love for us. No matter what conditional love we may have experienced from others in our lives, God’s love and acceptance of us is sure – it is solid. It is sealed. It won’t go anywhere and He won’t change His mind. He never misunderstands us or `takes us wrong’, so there need be no fear and no need to tread carefully - our reputations and heart intents are never in question to the Lord. He knows us. He loves us. He accepts us and we are safe in relationship with Him.

What a huge relief this is to any who knows the reality of tiptoeing around in other relationships. We can run to the Lord with confidence and boldness and strong footing. We don’t need to tiptoe into His courts or hide in the sidelines. We can dance and sing and come before Him with nothing to hide, confident in the consistency of who He is and secure in His love and acceptance.

"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be."

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes relationships with others can be hard and need careful maneuvering around. Lord, thank You that it isn’t the same with You. You know all that is in my heart and You accept me into relationship with You – I don’t need to be afraid or careful what I share with You or how much of my heart I lay bare. Thank You, Lord, that Your love for me is consistent and never changing – that I really can trust who You are and what You say. In Jesus’ name, Amen.