DOTING DISCIPLINE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 

Isaiah 41:13 (TLB)

I am holding you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God—and I say to you, Don’t be afraid; I am here to help you.

 

This passage was brought to mind after a beautiful word picture was shared with our congregation yesterday during worship.

 

As our worship leader Anna shared a quaint story of some times when she was younger, when her “old school” father would discipline her from the pulpit, I was reminded of a couple of times my “old school” parents would do the same.

 

She said with a simple snap of the fingers she knew she was in for a little “corrective action” so to speak.  For me it was “the look”.  Whether from my mom who was stationed at the piano or dad who would summon me to the front row or worse yet to the back foyer, those times in church were never pleasant though deeply memorable.

And even though she didn’t like the discipline at the time, she never questioned her father’s love for her.

 

It brought to mind this little passage from Proverbs.

 

Proverbs 3:12

But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this.

 

See much like Anna’s dad and my folks, our Heavenly Father loves us so much to never hesitate to correct us; to bring us back into line for our “own good” or the betterment of ourselves.

 

We shouldn’t sulk when he does.  It is a sign that he DELIGHTS in us.  That is good news not bad.

 

But as Anna continued to share her story she spoke of the times when it was NOT a “snap of the fingers” that summoned her to her father’s side but rather a gentle beckoning; instead with an open hand and a loving gesture to come toward him, Anna would know then her daddy just wanted to be near her, to love on her, to draw her close, to let her know HE WAS THERE for her.

 

No daddy discipline. 

Just daddy doing a little doting.

 

It painted such a lovely picture in my mind of our HEAVENLY FATHER.  While He does discipline, He truly does DOTE after us.

He loves us so deeply and so passionately that He constantly wants to draw us near to Him so that we can experience Him but more so He can just love on us.

 

Mother Teresa paints a picture of this love of her own.

 

“God made the world for the delight of human beings-- if we could see His goodness everywhere, His concern for us, His awareness of our needs: the phone call we've waited for, the ride we are offered, the letter in the mail, just the little things He does for us throughout the day. As we remember and notice His love for us, we just begin to fall in love with Him because He is so busy with us -- you just can't resist Him. I believe there's no such thing as luck in life, it's God's love, it's His.”

 

So today, I want you to remember the simple message.

 

GOD does love you.

He is waiting to DOTE on you this morning; to make your day.  Will you take His beckoning hand and allow Him to draw you near?

 

 

I love you all.

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney