I want you to live in confidence. It is proper in God’s eyes that you do so. It requires wisdom and never forgetting your eternal disposition. It is easy to forget that what we see and hear is NOT as important as what we cannot see and hear. You were created for the divine and Kingdom living. You may be passing through this world but you are destined for something greater because of Christ’s sacrifice for you. You must be able to sense and feel the moment-to-moment security of life in the Kingdom.
Yesterday I reminded you that you must think like a child. So, as your parent, I will use that childhood. Your disposition would always tell me when we were “good.” You had that certain air about you when you walked down the sidewalk next to me, or played in the park while mom sat nearby. I sensed your feeling of security that said, “I don’t have a care in the world. I can play and not worry about what is going on around me, because mom or dad are watching over and protecting me.” You were confident rather than fearful. You knew that even if you got into trouble, we would be there to rescue you.
On the other hand, when you did something wrong, you avoided us, the same way Adam and Eve avoided God after they ate from the forbidden tree in Eden. Avoidance creates gaps and throws up walls in any relationship. It is like being in between cell phone towers on your cell phone. You can hear, but not every piece of the conversation comes through. As communication falters, the security and confidence of understanding erodes as it did with the Israelites, according to Hosea:
. . . My people are destroyed from a lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
I want you to know that I will never ignore you or reject you. But you must stay close and learn even though you are adults now. God inspired Hosea to illustrate this concept by using a specific Hebrew word in Hosea 4:6. The root word, from which “knowledge” is derived, means “to know, to perceive and see, find out, discern, discriminate, and distinguish by experience.” The root word implies that one’s knowledge is produced through a skilled ability to recognize by seeking the help of knowledgeable and wise people. This is, in many ways, analogous to our current day concept of mentoring. Mentoring requires face time of both quantity and quality. So let me mentor you for a moment. I want to summarize your position in the eyes of God, so you will feel like you did as a child and understand the security in which you abide. Get rid of the doubts that arise when you are alone. Know this:
- You were chosen before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless.
- You were predestined to be an adopted son or daughter of God.
- You were redeemed through Christ’s blood and forgiven of your sins through God’s grace.
- You were marked in Him with a seal—the promised Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who guarantees your inheritance.
- You are already blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing.
- You will be lavished with all wisdom and understanding as you enter the Kingdom.
- You have a personal plan that works out everything with God’s purpose and will.
- You received the same power as Christ when the Father raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.
Now, enjoy that position and maintain it by staying close to those who love you – unconditionally.
Love Dad