Embrace part 2
I find that if something is Spiritually true, the reverse is often true. Usually even more so. For example, Acts 17:28 says, "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." Absolute truth. We live in Him. But the reverse is also (even more) true. In US He lives, and moves, and has His being. We don't just live in Him. He lives in us. The NLT says, "For in him we live and move and exist." And, in the same way the the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (and then took a step further on the cross and began to dwell within us), God--LOVE--exists in us. But my point for today is not that we have what we need. I feel like I make that point loud and proud all the time. My point for today is that when we focus so much on "holding on to Him" the truth of the matter is... He's holding on to us. And He's never letting us go. Revelation 21:3 in the Message Bible says it like this, "I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God." God moved into the neighborhood--the house that He built for Himself, which is you--and He's never moving out. He might need to do some renovations, but He's happy with the house. He's happy with you. And the truth is, He made the renovations 2,000 years ago on the cross. So when we have these "growing pains" it's not REALLY a change taking place. The change already took place. What's happening is a revelation of the change. We be who we are as we learn who we are... who HE is in us, and through us, and as us. But I want to stress something before we go any further. I'm NOT saying you shouldn't hang on to Jesus as tightly as you can. There have been times in my life when nothing could have gotten me through what I was going through but God. What I'm saying is... we need to see the reverse of it. We need to see HIS arms stretched wide on the cross, embracing us. Because if we have this idea that we're hanging on to Him but He has a different agenda, then we're missing out on a lot. It's like when you're a kid and your parent is busy and your trying to get their attention. You might grab their hand, and try to pull them down to your level. And sometimes that's how it seems with God. Sometimes it seems like He's not listening. Or, at the very least, not answering. But... and this took me a LONG time to learn... sometimes no answer IS the answer. But, again, my point is that God is not a heavenly Father who is too busy for you. You don't have to hang on with all you've got. Because even if you let go... He won't. His embrace is one that is everlasting. Eternal. His embrace is loving the world--you and everybody else included--so much that He would literally give His only begotten Son. That the Son would literally give His life for you, and to you. That God would move into the neighborhood and say, "I'm home." He's not going anywhere. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. You might be reaching for Him, but He has already wrapped you in His loving arms. His arms were spread wide on the cross, and He wrapped up the whole world in His loving embrace. And He's never ever letting go!