Theme: Our Father Already Knows.
What a great opportunity for a newly licensed driver! I was just 16 years old, and Mom wanted me to run an errand. On top of that, my grandpa Joe entrusted me to drive his spotless Chevy Impala to carry it out. As I slowly backed the car out of the driveway, I realized that I was very close to our iron post mailbox. As I backed up further, I glimpsed at the mailbox wiggling and believed that I felt the car scrape against it. “Nothing happened”, I told myself as I continued on. However, I was sure something had.
Returning home, I went through the motions of eating dinner, and hugging goodbye to my grandma and grandpa. I remember feeling guilt, but more so, feeling as though I had disappointed those whose trust meant so very much to me. I slipped into my bedroom, where I talked to myself, trying to rationalize the incident in my head. Occasionally I remember looking out the window at my dad cleaning up the patio. Finally, I could not take it any longer, and walked out to where my father was, blurting out what I had done. “Dad, I hit the mailbox with grandpa’s car, and I’m sure I must have scratched it.”
“No, you didn’t”, my dad replied.
“I didn’t? How do you know?” I asked.
“I noticed how close you got to the mailbox and saw it sway as you pulled out. When you returned, I inspected the car and saw no scratches at all.”
“Dad, why didn’t you tell me? I have been a mess all day.”
My father looked at me and simply said, “I wanted you to come to me.”
As Pastor Dan instructed this past Sunday, our Heavenly Father already knows our failings. In those times when we disappoint Him and feel as though we have betrayed His trust in us, we often want to hide in our bedrooms and hope it just goes away. But it never does, until we go to Him and confess what we have done. Then I remember that summer night many years ago when my father simply wanted his child to come to him.
Scripture: Proverbs 28:13, Psalm 32:5, 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
“He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
“Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgression to the Lord…and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Prayer
Oh Father, my Abba, how I long to please you and prove the trust you have shown in me. But I fall short so often Father, and I so want to run and hide from your presence, ashamed, sad and guilty for betraying your love and trust in me. However, I cannot hide, you know what I have done, and all you want is for me to run to you, crawl up on your lap and tell you what I did. It is my acknowledgement of what you already know I did, and allowing your love to wash over me, removing my guilt and desire to run away and hide. Father, allow me always to feel as I do right now, and know that you are my Abba and you love me, and just want me to remain near you. Amen.