Our Ever-Ready Father God

A growing child soon learns that when they call, either Mum or Dad will come running, especially if it seems that the child is in need of help. And the more desperate the cry, the more urgent will be the response of the parents.

We are made in the image and likeness of God so if, as parents, we have an instinctive desire to be always listening for the voice of our children and be running to help them, if necessary, then we should always remember that we learned to respond in this way from our Heavenly Father. This is His nature and character. Psalm 34:15 and 17 express it this way: “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry . . .  the righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”

Psalm 66:18, however, reminds us that our own behaviour can influence the Father’s response. Here we read, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” No wonder Jesus wanted to add to this understanding by saying that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and those with a pure heart, will know God’s blessing in their lives (Matthew 5: 6&8). Jesus also embodied these principles in the prayer He gave to His disciples when He encouraged them to ask forgiveness for their sins as part of their personal prayer discipline.

The Lord loves His children – you and me, we never stop being God’s kids! – and longs to hear their voice as they reach out to Him in faith and trust. We live in a very dark world and the enemy of souls is constantly snapping at our heels trying to turn us off course in the journey of life. It’s vital, therefore, that we develop an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father and, with a pure heart, keep the channel of communication open. He is waiting to hear from you – but more than that He is waiting to speak into our lives with His words of wisdom, encouragement and direction.