"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” -John 15:9

Devotion

My oldest son turned nine in April. As I was looking through pictures of him on my phone and reminiscing, I came across this one.

Ryker was less than 24 hours old. The nurse asked if I wanted to join them for his first bath. I was a brand new dad, and I wanted to make sure my son was okay during this new endeavor out of the hospital room.

As we left my wife’s side, Ryker started wailing. My blood pressure started to rise a bit. I was worried. Was he okay? Should we wait? What can I do? As we went into the nursery, it became clear he wasn’t going to stop crying anytime soon. Then the bath started, and I was seeing his little lungs come to life as the wailing only intensified.

I stood by watching them give him a nice scrub, hoping it would end soon. As they laid him back in his bassinet, I reached down and his little hand grabbed my finger. I said, “I’ve got you, buddy boy. It’s okay, dad is here.” That moment is just as vivid now as it was nine years ago. Why?

As Ryker’s small hand gripped my finger, I laid my other hand on his tiny chest. He began to calm down. His breathing slowed. He started to coo softly. My eyes filled with tears as I got a glimpse of how our Heavenly Father feels about us. He’s standing by. He’s making sure we are okay. He’s looking out for us. All you need to do is reach out. He’s saying “I’ve got you. It’s okay, your Heavenly Father is here.”

God’s Word says…

Deuteronomy 1:31: "There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."

Luke 15:20: "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

John 15:9: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love."

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

PRAYER

God, I am reaching out to you right now. No matter how I feel, you are with me. No matter what I do, you do not turn away from me. You’ve got me, and I ask for even more faith to live like it. Amen.

Blake Sabiston

Connections Pastor | Crossings OKC

Resources:

What I’ve been reading:

• “Even the most intense of human love is but the faintest echo of heaven’s cascading abundance. His heartful thoughts for you outstrip what you can conceive.” ~Dane Ortlund,
• Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers

What I’ve been listening to:

• Homeward-Benjamin Hastings
• I Am Your Beloved (Live) - Jonathan David Hesler & Melissa Hesler