My three grownup sons live and work abroad. As a mum, I miss them, every single day. People say things to me like “at least you can ‘FaceTime’ or ‘WhatsApp’ them.” True, and I am glad for those useful tools, but you can’t hug your son over WhatsApp, and the thousands of miles between us seem to multiply with each life event I miss – the birth of a grandchild, a graduation, a change of career, a house move.

One day recently, I was feeling that familiar pang of missing my sons and started thinking about the Father heart of God. I had been reading through Psalm 139 that week and I began to wonder to myself how God feels when I start to let the busyness of my life interrupt my quality time with him.

God is our Father. As a Father, how it must delight his heart when his children set aside all our striving to spend quality time with him. How often we become ‘too busy’ and distracted by life, filling our days with worries and cares, work and fun, even doing things that we convince ourselves are ‘for God,’ until there’s barely a moment left over to spend time with him.

If our hearts as parents long for meaningful connection with our children, how much more does the Father heart of God long for connection with us, his children?

God is always with you.

“I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”

Psalm 139:7-12

There is one attribute of God that not even the best parent in the world could ever hope to replicate; his ability to be with you all the time.

This is something that has always boggled my mind. Our Father God is constantly with me, every second of every day. He is also with you – constantly, every second of every day. From Heaven’s throne to my humble human heart flows an uninterrupted stream of love, as though nobody else in the world existed.
And the same goes for you.

How is that possible? How can God be personally involved with billions upon billions of individuals all at the same time? I’ll be honest, I don’t know, but I do know that for the Creator of the world it’s no big deal. He is Almighty God. He is omnipresent- a concept most of us have a hard time getting our heads around.

Perhaps the explanation is the sheer speed of his thoughts. God has created things in nature that pulsate at incredible speed. For example, let’s look briefly at the quartz crystal’s whose molecular structure reportedly vibrates at the speed of 9 billion movements per second. And that’s only something created. Surely then the abilities of God, the Creator, must far surpass this.

Bearing this in mind, God could easily think a loving thought towards you at least twice every second without straining his ability to relate to the rest of his children at the same time. It is quite staggering really, isn’t it?

As far as you’re concerned, it’s just you and God. You never have to try to get his attention, you already have his full attention. He’s already listening.

(Jill McIlreavy)

Your Father knows you

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.”

Psalm 139:1-4

Our Father God is never too preoccupied with his own activities to show a real interest in the small events of our lives. He knows and cares about the tiniest detail. Even the hairs on your head are numbered. (See Luke 12:7)

The Bible doesn’t tell us this just to let us know that God is concerned with data, but to lead us to understand how God knows us and takes care of us.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:31-32‬ ‭

He is the Perfect Father

God is the perfect Father. He is faithful, generous, kind, gentle and loving. He longs to spend time with, and have meaningful connection with his children. He wants you know that you are a special and unique person to Him, unconditionally loved.

Jill 💜