I watched from a distance as my 4-year-old sat on her new bike at the top of the driveway, taking off her helmet and trying to hang it on the handlebar. I shouted, “Put your helmet back on!” Her reply was that of what I imagined would come from a teenager…”ugh!”. She begrudgingly put it back on her head and snapped the buckle.
How many times in life do we take a couple practice runs with God before we think we have it all figured out and don’t need Him anymore? We think we’re ready to take the safeguards off and do things our way.
But God sees the whole picture. He sees our blind confidence and unsteady balance. He sees us take off our helmets with an I-don’t-need-You attitude. We may even roll our eyes at Him when He puts a speed bump in our paths to slow us down.
Sometimes we interpret God’s intervention as annoying or unloving. We think He’s controlling and spiteful. Oh, how the enemy deceives us.
On the contrary, God patiently pursues us, despite our sinful nature and free will causing us to go astray. He compels us to draw close to Him again by correcting our course and reminding us of our need for Him.
So instead of pushing Him away when His correction comes, we must recognize that His purpose in doing so is always driven by a righteous, relentless love – one that yearns for His children to reunite with Him in perfect communion once again.
“My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline,
And don’t be upset when he corrects you.
For the Lord corrects those he loves,
Just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.”
Proverbs 3:11-12
And that’s the mid-week memo.
Wholeheartedly,
Katie
