I watched from my kitchen window. I knew how the early morning scene would play out; I had witnessed it countless times over the years.
A multi-generational family lives in the house across the street: father, mother, daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren.
At the same time each morning, the garage door will open and the father will exit. He carries a tote bag and puts it in the passenger side of the car. He will walk around to the driver’s side, start the car, clear off the windows and go back inside the house. A few minutes later, he will walk out with his daughter and open the driver’s door. They will talk for a moment, then the father will close her door and she will pull out of the drive way. As she drives away, the father will walk to the end of the driveway and watch until her car turns out of the subdivision and is out of sight. He then goes back into the house and closes the garage door.
The scene has always warmed my heart. This time, I realized that what I watched is a powerful word picture of God’s love for us.
Like this earthly father, my Heavenly Father is always going before me.
And the Lord is the one who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed. ~ Deuteronomy 31:8 (NASB)
He goes to prepare the way for me.
Behold, I am going to do something new, Now it will spring up;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert. ~ Isaiah 43:19 (NASB)
He cares for me.
But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your Creator, Jacob,
And He who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine! ~ Isaiah 43:1 (NASB)
He watches over me.
The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts
are fully committed to him. ~ 2 Chronicles 16:9a (NLT)
He demonstrates His great love for me.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ~ Romans 5:8 (NLT)
However, unlike the span of time when work obligations will separate the father and daughter, we are never separated from our Heavenly Father.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)
How great the Father’s love is for me! His love is matchless, never-ending and all-consuming! Oh, how my heart rejoices!