He loves us!

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:14-16 NLT)

I have a photo in a frame of a little girl and her Father. The girl has her arms wrapped tightly around her Fathers neck, she looks safe, secure and confident in his love for her. The photo gives me goose bumps every time I look at it.

The little girl in the photo is me, and the man is my Dad. I am so blessed to have a loving earthly Father, who has been my greatest cheerleader and supporter, he has walked with me through the toughest seasons of my life, he has protected me, cared for me, provided for me and fought for me. He has allowed me to be the person I am and always encourages me to run after my dreams. He says I can when others say I can't, he will fly across the world for me, and he loves me without condition. I will be forever grateful for, My Dad.

[photo: me and my dad, about 25 years ago!]

But, when I look at that beautiful photo, it reminds me of the love my Heavenly Father has for me. Although I will often tell my Dad he is the best Dad in he world, no earthly Father is perfect, and no earthly Father can meet all your needs.

A good Father desires the absolute best for his children. You may, like me, have a good Father. You may have a not so good Father, or even an absent Father. Whatever journey life has taken you on, I want you to know that you DO have a Father in Heaven who loves you, believes in you, accepts you just the way you are. He is a GOOD Father. He desires nothing but good for your life. He wants you to experience His love.

His shoulders are strong enough to carry your burdens, His arms are long enough to to wrap tightly around you when forgiveness and grace are needed, His hands are big enough to keep you safe when protection is required, His eyes are ever open keeping watch over you and His face is always towards you.

He is a Father, who fights for you, when others seek to destroy you. He is a Father who never sleeps nor slumbers, He sings over you and you can find peace and strength in the safety of His embrace. He will provide for you, in ways you never imagined, He will rebuke the plans of the enemy, He will crush your enemies, cause you to rise up in victory, and He even prepares a feast for you in the presence of your enemies [love that!], He is your judge and your defender. He will never leave you or forsake you, and His love for you is absolutely limitless.

So this week, why don't you choose to throw your shoulders back, lift your head high, and walk in the confidence that your Father in Heaven loves you. He is on your side, He is for you, not against you. He has incredible promise for your life. Your Father in Heaven loves you without condition and nothing in this world will ever separate you from His love [Romans 8:38-39].