Near His Children

 
Have you ever seen a small child separated from his mother in a crowd? Once he realizes they are separated, he will walk around aimlessly, looking for her. He may even walk in circles around her, unaware of how close she actually is. Eventually, the child will become upset and begin to cry. His mother, on the other hand, is calm and patient. Her child was always in her sight and she was near. As soon as she realizes her child is looking for her, and that he cannot find her, she calls out to him. “Here I am”, she says. She makes him aware of her presence. Just the sound of her voice settles him down and gives him direction. She gathers him in her arms and offers the love, comfort, peace, and guidance he was looking for.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:10). As God’s dearly loved children, we are often like the lost child mentioned above. We tend to walk around aimlessly. Sometimes, we feel lost and confused in a crowd, so we walk with the crowd or with no true direction. Sometimes we become frightened and begin to cry. Like the small child, we become fearful as we feel lost. Other times we continue walking in circles; we know God was just right there, but we can’t sense His presence now. All the while, our Father never takes His eyes off of us. Our God is the God who sees (Gen. 16:13). He knows what we are going through and He longs to bring us close.
As soon as we begin looking for the Lord, we find Him. ‘“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord…’ (Jeremiah 29:13-14a). We often move in the right direction when we hear the voice of Our Father. Whether we hear a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12) or a powerful thunder (Psalm 29:3-4), His voice settles us down and gives us direction. Once we get back to Our Father, from where we have strayed, he gathers us in His loving arms and offers us love, comfort, peace, and guidance.
In His love, God waits and expectantly watches for His children to begin seeking Him. He tenderly longs to gather us in His loving arms to offer comfort and guidance. If you feel lost or confused, rest assured that God knows exactly where you are and what you need. He sees you where you are. I encourage you to seek God with all of your heart; call out to Him and listen for His tender voice to assure you of His presence.