Jet Lag and the Father's Love!

I've been up now since 3:30 AM. It's called jet lag. We returned last night at 5:30 PM. Bob and I are so glad to be reunited with our families! It will take a while to adjust to a new time zone. Our bodies are still over nine hours ahead!

The love that the Father has for us is on my heart, and has been since I preached about it last Sunday in India. We were on a rooftop in sweltering heat and I became overwhelmed with how much the Father loves every human being. Before me were people who are so impoverished. Daily life is a grueling struggle to survive. Nothing is comfortable. Yet, the love of the Father reaches them and lifts them from their place of despair into a realm of joy and delight. They sang and praised with abandon. They received the Father's love like as person who hasn't eaten in weeks.

God met me when I felt like a spiritual orphan. He accepted me the way I was, and began to change me from the inside out. His love melted my walls of self-protection, and liberated me from bondage. The following scripture revolutionized my way of living. I found a home with my Father there to take care of me.

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness (Lamentation 3:22-23). The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. The Lord upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. (Psalm 145:8-9,14-19). The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; The Lord raises those who are bowed down; The Lord loves the righteous (Psalm 146:8).

Experiencing the love of the Father is similar to jet lag. Once you find out how much the Father loves and cares for you, it's a challenge to accept His love because the mind and emotions may be programmed against it. They are programmed for rejection, and the Father longs for intimacy. Like jet lag, you know what you should be asleep or awake, but the body is in another time zone, thousands of miles away! It takes time to accept love from someone who will really, really cares and will not turn away when you're in a hard place and need to talk. Your mind and emotions will tell you He really doesn't care, but remember that they are in another time zone- your past!

Meditate daily on the love the Father has for you. Pour out your heart to Him. He can handle your honesty, and will gently help you. In time, your mind and emotions will adjust to the new time zone of care, acceptance, and help from the Father! He's just the best!