Keep in Mind That God is a Loving Father  

One morning I spied what I refer to as “the neighborhood cat” strolling across our front yard. I gave it that title because I am not sure if it really belongs to anyone in particular. It doesn’t seem to allow any human beings to get too close to it or touch it. I am aware of at least one neighbor who puts out food for the cat. So it is not unusual to see this feline resident wandering around. However, this morning something unusual got my attention. The cat appeared to have something in its mouth. I had previously seen it stalking birds. Had it caught one? Or did it capture a chipmunk or some other creature in our yard?

After watching this scene from my window for a few moments, something didn’t seem to fit the circumstances I had envisioned. Whatever the cat had in its possession, it wasn’t treating it like its morning breakfast. Finally, I stepped outside to get a closer look. To my surprise I found the cat’s companion to be a cute kitten. I wasn’t witnessing the harsh reality in nature of one creature killing another for food but rather the tender phenomenon of a parent tending its offspring.

  Sometimes our view of God can get similarly skewed, especially when we have experienced difficult or tragic circumstances in our lives. There are some who imagine God being like a cat toying with its captured prey. I have witnessed such incidents where the predator releases its prey momentarily before pouncing on it again. The cat seems to be amused as long as the creature keeps stirring and making an effort to escape. In the meantime, it is slowly clawing and injuring its victim until finally death mercifully arrives. Is God such a powerful being who is simply toying with us? Does He take pleasure in our sufferings, struggles, and attempts to endure life’s hardships? Or is He just some ferocious predator who is anxious to pour out His wrath on us and destroy us?

While there are some who have developed some degree of such a harsh picture of our Creator, we need to keep in mind that above all else, God has revealed Himself to be like a parent to us. Yes, He is powerful. Yes, He is a holy God who condemns sin and can pour out His righteous wrath on the ungodly. However, His primary aim is not to amuse Himself with us or to wipe us out. He loves us. We are His creation. And as human beings made in His image, we are His special and unique creation. Out of love for us, He has provided a way for us to be even more than His prized creation, but to actually become His children. Through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins, we can be adopted into God’s family. We can come to know God in a very personal way as our Heavenly Father.

Yes, the trials of life may make it seem like God is grabbing us around the neck at times. However, He isn’t trying to strangle us. He is carrying us by the nape of our necks in order to protect us from harm or to guide us into a better situation. He may discipline us, as a parent does a child, but for our good. Our Father hasn’t forsaken us. He is still working things out for what is best for those who love Him.

Don’t let the harshness of life cause you to lose sight of the loving, tender nature of your Heavenly Father. A holy God isn’t trying to eat you alive. A loving Father is trying to draw you to Himself, help you, protect you, and guide you.