When your heart needs a father

The Living Room:
When Your Heart Needs a Father

by Max Lucado
"Our Father who is in heaven …” With these words Jesus escorts us into the Great House of God. Shall we follow him? There is so much to see. Every room reveals his heart, every stop will soothe your soul. And no room is as essential as this one we enter first. Walk behind him as he leads us into God’s living room.
Sit in the chair that was made for you and warm your hands by the fire which never fades. Take time to look at the framed photos and find yours. Be sure to pick up the scrapbook and find the story of your life. But please, before any of that, stand at the mantle and study the painting which hangs above it.
Your Father treasures the portrait. He has hung it where all can see.
Stand before it a thousand times and each gaze is as fresh as the first. Let a million look at the canvas and each one will see himself. And each will be right.
Captured in the portrait is a tender scene of a father and a son. Behind them is a great house on a hill. Beneath their feet is a narrow path. Down from the house the father has run. Up the trail the son has trudged. The two have met, here, at the gate.
We can’t see the face of the son; it’s buried in the chest of his father. No, we can’t see his face, but we can see his tattered robe and stringy hair. We can see the mud on the back of his legs, the filth on his shoulders and the empty purse on the ground. At one time the purse was full of money. At one time the boy was full of pride. But that was a dozen taverns ago. Now both the purse and the pride are depleted. The prodigal offers no gift or explanation. All he offers is the smell of pigs and a rehearsed apology: “Father, I have sinned against God and done wrong to you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21).
He feels unworthy of his birthright. “Demote me. Punish me. Take my name off the mailbox and my initials off the family tree. I am willing to give up my place at your table.” The boy is content to be a hired hand. There is only one problem. Though the boy is willing to stop being a son, the father is not willing to stop being a father.
Though we can’t see the boy’s face in the painting, we can’t miss the father’s. Look at the tears glistening on the leathered cheeks, the smile shining through the silver beard. One arm holds the boy up so he won’t fall, the other holds the boy close so he won’t doubt.
“Hurry!” he shouts. “Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get our fat calf and kill it so we can have a feast and celebrate. My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost but now he is found!” (Luke 15:22–24).
How these words must have stunned the young man, “My son was dead …” He thought he’d lost his place in the home. After all, didn’t he abandon his father? Didn’t he waste his inheritance? The boy assumed he had forfeited his privilege to sonship. The father, however, doesn’t give up that easily. In his mind, his son is still a son. The child may have been out of the house, but he was never out of his father’s heart. He may have left the table, but he never left the family. Don’t miss the message here. You may be willing to stop being God’s child. But God is not willing to stop being your Father.

Faithfully

I remember a song now by a gospel group Katinas (hope i spelt that right) called Faithfully, as you guessed it is a song singing about God's faithfulness and how he shows up every time. I remember the song now as I have just finished reading Daniel chapter 6. for those who need their memories refreshed, it is the chapter where Daniel is thrown into the lions den because he prayed to God and not to the King as the decree had demanded. it is ironic how we get into trouble for doing the right things. how making the right decision can look like we made a colossal mistake, how saying the right thing turns you into public enemy. We have heard how the wrong things can get us into trouble, but dare I say even the right things do too.

God did not turn up when Daniel was reported to the King, God did not show up when Daniel was being dragged to the lions den. God did not show up when a stone was rolled over the den to prevent anyone from rescuing him (vs17). If I was Daniel I would be worried, I would wonder 'where is God? can't he see me again!!'
What am I saying, I do get that way with God. one disappointment after the other, one trial after the other, one pain after the other. and I wonder, where is God? can't he see me again? why am I going through all this if he loves me.

in Daniel's story, we don't get to read how the angel did shut the lions mouth. we don't get to see what happened but like the King we are elated to see that God came through!! God will go anywhere you are. Just as we don't see what happened with the angel and the lions, we don't always get to see what God is working on behind close doors. You don't know how close you are to receiving your miracle.

my mother said to me somedays ago 'things aren't always as they seem my dear.'

And I tell you the same thing, it may look like you have fallen off God's radar, it may look like he can't hear you or worse he has stopped listening. But things aren't always as they seem.

listen to what King Darius said about Daniel's God:
vs 27" He rescues and saves his people; he performs miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth."

Guess what, that is your God too, the God of Daniel is your God too!!
things aren't always as they seem, he sees you, he loves you and he is coming to get you out and set you up!!
This year resolve in your heart to believe and trust in him 100%


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!