Thursday, May 13, 2004

He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
(Isaiah 40.11 NRSV)

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In his book Reality and Prayer, John Magee writes that we can only know God if we realize that He is both intimate and ultimate. His very nature is ultimate, awesome, majestic, omnipotent, and without limits--"holy, holy, holy." Yet at the same time, God's spirit lives within us and guides us through each day of our lives. God allows Himself to be known, to be in relationship with His creatures, to come before His throne boldly, to call Him "Father." This is the intimate side of God's nature. In order to fully grasp His nature, we must consider both His intimacy and His ultimacy.

God reached out to us in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, He dwells with us today. What an awesome reality that is!

A TV movie once told the story of a young man named Eric. Eric was struggling through a bout of despair caused by cancer. There was a touching moment when Eric stood with his father on the beach of their summer home.

"Daddy," Eric said, "remember how I wanted to swim across the bay with you? We got halfway across and I said I couldn't make it. You reached and held on to me. Well, Daddy, I don't think I can make it this time."

At that moment Eric's father quietly gathered his son in his arms and said, "I won't let you go down this time, either. Put your arms around my neck, and we'll go on together."

Do you understand? That's how much God loves us. That's how completely we can trust Him.

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Dear God, hold me in your arms. Amen.

Ron Newhouse

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