I recently re-read this passage from The Legacy Path, by Brian Haynes, and my heart was greatly encouraged. Just wanted to share the encouragement with you. What a God we serve!

What does it mean to have a father in God and to be His child even as we are parents ourselves? Having a father and being His child comes with privilege and responsibility. At its core the Father and child relationship between God and His people can be described in one word: love. A quick study of a familiar passage shows just what kind of love God expends toward His people. You know The Ten Commandments. Consider Exodus 20:5.

“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

The word for hate in this verse is the Hebrew word “sane” meaning to move away from in terms of distance. So the hater of God is not so much the emotive and angry God hater, but instead the one who distances himself from the Father.

When we love God, we “ahav” Him. This also is a term of distance. “Ahav” is loving God in a way that we come closer to Him. When we love Him, we take steps toward Him by living His way as seen in the latter phrase of the verse.

The Father, however, loves us with a steadfast love. The Hebrew word is “chesod,” a completely different word for love than “ahav.” “Chesod” is even more than steadfast love. It’s the only way God knows how to love. To quote my friend George DeJong, “He loves you full bore.” He never loves at a distance. He always loves us completely, all over us, and in our face.

I need the love of the Father to survive the journey and do my part on the legacy path. We have the best Father. Our job is to get our kids to hold hands with Him. I will mess up some days. He never will. He is the Father. He is the One who has loved you every day of your life. He is your Father, and He loves you full bore.”

Awesome! I’m reminded of the words of James: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” What love!