8 Oct
Precious in His Sight
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. …Because you are precious in My sight and honored and I love you. Isaiah 43:1,4
“Watch me go down the slide, Mom!” “Hey Dad, watch me ride my bike!” “Look at me! Watch me! Keep your eyes on me!” Sometimes it wears you out just listening to children call for attention from their parents—especially when you are the parent, and there is only one of you and three of them. But recently, I’ve noticed that we “older kids” aren’t much different from those demanding little angels. We all want to be special to someone. It’s ingrained in who we are. We all want to belong, to be the best friend, the favorite child, the cherished one. We all need to feel loved, and we will do all kinds of crazy things to get the attention we crave.
Sometimes, when we feel isolated or rejected, we withdraw from others and build a protective cocoon around our pain. The problem with this plan is that it serves to further isolate us and to increase the loneliness we feel. Our deepening need can lead to bitterness and an “I’ll-reject-you-before-you-reject-me” kind of attitude, and we may even leave a church or a group of friends because of our clouded perception. At other times, we demand the attention we want from others. We require so much time that we push other people away rather than draw them into closer fellowship. Our needs are never met by those around us, and we rarely think of others’ needs as we move from relationship to relationship sucking the life out of them as we go. Again, we may grow bitter and seek to blame others rather than seeing the fault in our own perceptions. All we know is that we hurt, and someone must be to blame for it. And before anyone thinks I am talking about them, let me say that we’ve all been there and done at least some of that—even if we don’t have the T-shirt.
Thanks be to God that there is One who loves us with all His heart! He has engraved us in the palms of His hands (Is. 49:16). He guards us as the apple of His eye and shelters us in the shadow of His wings (Ps. 17:8). He is a father of the fatherless and a champion of widows, and He provides homes for those who are deserted (Ps. 68:5-6). Another translation says, “God sets the lonely in families” (NIV, Ps. 68:6). We are not deserted. We are protected. Cherished. The apple of His eye. He sees us. He knows us. He places us in families. And He deeply loves us. “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!” (Rom. 5:8). How much more then should we show our love for Him by loving those around us for whom He has died? We and they are precious in His sight—equal before His throne and joint heirs with Christ. Isn’t it great to be a child of the King?
O God, please, open my eyes to see myself and others as You see us and also open my arms to welcome those You choose to place in Your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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Filed in: Love, Relationship
