The Father’s Pleasure

My wife Gemma and I try to pray together each morning. At the beginning of each year, I look for a daily devotional to read aloud before we pray and commit the day to the Lord. This year we have been working through a book of daily devotions taken from sermons by A.W. Tozer. A few weeks ago, the reading for the day looked at how God understands every detail about us. Near the beginning of the reading, the author wrote, that we most please God by believing in His goodness and kind intentions towards us, and just throwing ourselves into His arms with all our imperfections, believing that He understands everything about us and loves us still. My heart was warmed by the words as I read them. A.W. Tozer continued with these words:

‘When He must chasten us, He even does this with a smile – the proud, tender smile of a Father who is bursting with pleasure over an imperfect son (or daughter) who is coming every day to look more and more like the One whose child he (or she) is!’

As I read the above words, I discovered that there was a barrier in my heart to receiving them. It was a moment of revelation to me that I could only think of my Heavenly Father chastising me with a frown of disapproval or disappointment, not with a smile of love. As I prayed after finishing the reading, I was able to tell the Lord what happened in my heart as I’d read. I told Him that I realised that I struggled to receive the words I had just read as true because I had never experienced my earthly father bursting with pleasure over me. The one time that I believe my Dad did show that pleasure was the day that I married Gemma, but in general he struggled to express love to me. He died two years ago, and I had the privilege of being involved in his care during the last few years of his life. I loved him and miss him still.

I believe that the Lord met me in that simple daily devotion. He exposed a lie and a barrier to the knowledge of Him as the good, good Father that He is, and I’m asking Him to continue to melt that barrier with His love. Perhaps that speaks to someone reading this Seed today. If you struggle to see your Heavenly Father ‘bursting with pleasure’ over you and know that it’s because of a lack of love as you grew up, don’t just try to make yourself feel that pleasure. Speak to your Father in heaven and tell Him about the ache and longing in your heart. Ask Him to fill that empty space with His love.