How Long?

There is a cry in the Father's heart which, I believe has been there since the tragic fall in the garden of Eden. In that fateful moment mankind adopted the pride of Satan and chose independence from God the Father. They walked out of the garden having lost their closeness and intimacy with the Father and, as Paul tells us in Ephesians, had started to follow the “ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Ephesians 2:2).

I doubt that falling away from God's perfect intention took the Father by surprise. He didn’t panic and start to work out what 'plan B' would be. He has only ever had one plan and that is to have a family of sons and daughters, created in the image of his Son, Jesus. That plan did not change in the garden. It did not change because our Father is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow; he is the Lord and he does not change. 

We read at the end of Genesis 3 that Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden. That's often read as an act of judgement by an angry God who can’t look on sin. If that's the case, what hope is there for us? God's not afraid of sin, it saddens him of course but it doesn’t (nor can it) overwhelm him. This is not an act of judgement. It’s an act of love and mercy. They had to leave the garden to prevent them eating from the tree of life and therefore living forever in a fallen, sinful state. This is an act of a loving Father who spares his children from a fate that they could not bear. 

We focus on the fate and future of Adam and Eve yet we seldom pause to think how the Father felt in that moment. Imagine the pain, the heartache and the loss. Those of us who are fathers often have similar feelings with our own children. Anything we experience has to pale into insignificance when we wonder how the Father was feeling as he watched his children walk away. 

But, that was not the end.  

The Father's plan did not change. He still wanted, and today he still wants, a family. 

As the Old Testament story unfolds we see pride and rebellion being the hallmark of his people. We watch a nation wander off into independence, seeking to find a way to manage their own destiny without any reference to their Creator. 

Does God abandon them? No, never. In fact, I believe there is a cry in his heart which continues to express his eternal desire. This cry is found in Jeremiah 3:19 “I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me”.

This cry is satisfied through the coming of Jesus who revealed the Father to us and made it possible for us to know him. He cleared out the rubbish that separated us from the Father and, to those who believe, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). He made it possible for us to be fathered again so we may know that we are loved in exactly the same way as Jesus is loved (John 17:26).

My response to the cry in the Father’s heart is “How long?”

How long must he wait for us to turn and see who he is? How long must he wait before we choose to let go of our orphan hearted ways and allow him to be a Father to us? How long before we decide that living loved is better than our performance or striving? How long before we receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation that enables us to know him better (Ephesians 1:17)?

How long before we turn and call him ‘Father’ for that is who he is. 

When we do, we discover that the first part of the verse in Jeremiah 3 becomes a living reality for us. We discover our true identity as sons and daughters (how gladly would I call you ‘sons’), we find our true home with him (and give you a pleasant land) and we receive the inheritance that can only be given to sons and daughters (the most beautiful inheritance of any nation). 

How long?

My prayer is that we hear the Father’s cry and respond. 

My prayer is that every church, every denomination and each individual Christian discovers this truth for themselves. My prayer is that this becomes the basis on which we welcome new believers into the family so they don’t get sidetracked into a life of striving. My prayer is that this becomes the norm by which we live. 

Let’s not wait any longer, let’s turn and call him ‘Father’ for that is who he is.