"He cares for you"

If you are or have been the parent of a toddler, you know how frustrating and long the bedtime routine can be. The child does everything to stall and comes up with every excuse as to why it's not time for bed ("daddy I have to go potty," "daddy we forgot to brush my teeth," "daddy we have to read a book," "daddy I didn't kiss mommy," "daddy I need a drink," "daddy I need to tuck my baby in" and on and on...).  All the while, the things you have to do once you get that child to bed is a list too long to write.  It's crazy the reality that a child TRULY doesn't have a care in the world. 

Tonight as I watched Mikail play and play and play, enjoying every last moment until she fell asleep, it hit me that she really has NO CLUE how much I absolutely love her.  She has NO CLUE how much I want her to learn obedience and follow Jesus with her life.  She has NO CLUE how hard I pray for her, how much I sacrifice for her, how much money I spend on her, how much I stress myself out over her, how much I worry about her growing up in this difficult world, how much I think about and pray for her husband (Lord willing), how much I desire her to be successful, how much I long for her to have good friendships and how much it breaks my heart when she disobeys and makes poor decisions.  I care for her SO SO SO much and while she might have a glimpse of that reality and know it to a small degree, she really has NO CLUE in comparison to the depth of my true care for her. 

1 Peter 5:7 says, "cast all your anxieties on him, because HE CARES FOR YOU!"

Much like my daughter, we are CLUELESS as to the infinite depth of our Savior's loving care for us.  While we "play around" in life, our cares and burdens don't even come close to comparing with the Lord's cares and burdens for us.  May we be reminded of this today and run to him as often as we can knowing his loving arms are so much bigger and stronger than we even know or imagine.

Why???  Because...HE CARES FOR YOU!

Thanks for reading,
Dave

New series starting tomorrow

There is an element to our pursuit of the Lord and call to obedience that is always difficult and even, at times, seems impossible. But that perceived impossibility is never to negate our response. So how do we, as believers, actually walk out the things Christ calls us to? I think that more often than not our perception of the Lord up in Heaven looks something like this:

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THE LORD: "Hey Joe, I want you to go over and share the gospel with Melissa." (laughing under his breath)

JOE: "But Lord, isn't she an atheist?"

THE LORD: "Yeah she is, but that's ok." (under his breath: "good luck with that one - haha")

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While we wouldn't actually say it like that, I think that's how we really see it. As if the Lord enjoys burdening us with impossible tasks and watching, from a distance, as we suffer.

This series will begin to show us how active and present the Lord is in engaging us in our call to obedience -- that he isn't distant in the things he calls us to, but rather is actually the very one that enables us to live for him.

Over the next 6 weeks, We will look at the stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Gideon and Hosea. We will see the gospel portrayed through the Lord's covenant relationship with each of these Old Testament characters.

I want to challenge us to begin preparing our hearts and giving permission to Christ to address our obedience to him, or lack there of. Will you join me in praying Psalm 139:23–24?

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"

Journeying to better obedience with you,
Dave