Jeremiah 31:3 - God Delights In Jesus and In You
God Delights In Jesus and In You
"... I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." (Jeremiah 31:3, NIV)
So many I know in northern Canada have broken relationships with their earthly fathers. Many have deep wounds coming from them.
As a little boy, Joe experienced abuses of all kinds coming from a well-known leader who set him up—abuses too terrible to mention here. “But they’re not the hardest wounds to heal from,” exclaimed Joe. “What hurt me the most and what I still can’t get over is the fact that my father abandoned me!”
Recently, I attended a conference on healing and trauma. The words of the speaker were powerful: “We all come into this world looking for someone to be looking for us. “We all long to be noticed, to be loved and to belong.”
We especially long for parents and a father to love us, receive us and delight in us! With the coming of Jesus, this is possible. Jesus makes a way for us to know God and to be in beautiful relationship with God the Father.
My comfort to Joe was that, even though his earthly father let him down terribly—and he must grieve this loss (and it will be a journey)—he and all of us can have an amazing relationship with the true Father God. He will always be there for us into everlasting.
Yesterday I watched my son-in-law, after coming home from a long trip, enjoy his baby not quite 5 months old. His son looked up to his dad as he lay on the rug, kicking. Emerson smiled, giggled like crazy and just delighted, you could tell, in the way his dad tickled him, showed warmth to him and delighted in him! In the same way, God delights in us as we, through Jesus, delight in Him!
With the coming of Jesus on that first Christmas, everything changed. He provided a way to the true Father for us all! Jesus made a way for us to be in relationship with the Creator. We can even call Him Abba (Daddy) Father!
Dear Jesus, Thank You for providing a way for a true relationship with our true Father who loves us and delights in us. Thank You, Lord, for Your everlasting love that will never fade and for coming to us on that first Christmas. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
- Rick Martin, Manitoba, Canada
Rick and his wife, Linda (Cree), minister to First Nations people across Canada and the United States through Christian counseling and music. We provide updates on their work in our bi-annual Northern Lights Newsletter. You can view past issues of Northern Lights here.