How God being our Father Changes Everything

 

Recently, in preparation for The Way of the King's release, I went back and explored the prequel, and in the last pages, I found a hidden gem that's strangely exactly the same as one in the new book.

I thought to take it out. To edit it. To make sure the heart of the story wasn't repetitive.

But I couldn't.

Because the phrase is a singular key that brings

so

much

hope.

It's one of my favorite parts about this two-part series.

It reveals the Father-ness of our God in the Heavens. And that simple fact changes everything.

In this new book, the enemy is on the rise, and the entire Kingdom is falling prey to his schemes. Life for the faithful is desperate. They have two options: flee to the furthest reaches of the Kingdom to possibly hide out the war until it eventually would find them and squeeze out all life... or face it head on and watch their children and families be slaughtered one by one.

The treacherous Prince mocks, talking of the King,

"You've allowed this Kingdom to suffer for hundreds of years, let your children die, and you watched, uncaring. Your people hate you."

Sometimes I feel this ache in the world today.

Jesus feels so far away. The world gets dark, our bodies hurt with the pain of sin and death, we see people we love die, there's tears and fear and horrible things.

My heart cries out,

Jesus, when will You return?

I miss You.

Because I do.

The pain was in the first book too, when Kadira stood up to her adopted father, brokenness on every side.

I raised my stiff jaw toward Father's face. "You already did. You left me that day in the desert. You turned around and left without saying goodbye." My voice rose to a shrill cry. "Why is this any different?"

His answer makes this heart break:

Tears lingered in his eyes. "My child," he said, "that was the hardest thing I ever did."

That was the hardest thing I ever did.

Oh, soul that's hurting and broken! Oh heart that's sliced by knives this evil world slashed! You have a Father, and He hurts for you!

Sometimes the waiting is so hard.

Sometimes the pain hurts, and we want to give up.

Sometimes the battle looks lost, and the lies surrounding us scream so loud we can't hear anything else.

Why does He wait? Why doesn't He do something?

But as I read Hosea, I see the picture of a loving Father who is yearning passionately for His children and hurts right along with their pain. It's a Father who must allow punishment for wicked deeds, but I wonder if it's harder for the children or for Him?

"When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called my son...

So they went from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals...

I taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by their arms...

I drew them with gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck.
I stooped and fed them...

How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?

... My heart churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.

Hosea 11

This is a heartfelt message from God to His people, Israel. After He delivered them incredibly from Egypt, they were unfaithful, and here He painfully recounts His love to his straying children and the hardness of punishing them when He truly wants to gather them up like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings (Luke 13:34).

He was their Father. He hated the pain. And one day, He will rescue His children.

And whatever you're facing today, you have a God to call Father.

Yes, there's trials. But joy - He even allows those trials to produce perseverance, character, and hope, and the lovely thing is that HOPE isn't in some far-off dream but in a concrete reality He promises that WILL come to pass.

Jesus will come back.

He will restore this broken world to something beautiful and Eden-like.

He will give us resurrection bodies of glory.

No more pain.

Tears.

Loneliness.

Fear.

Sin.

Death.

All that will be removed with this earth's curse because God will win and defeat the enemy once and for all.

But right now, He painfully waits, knowing we hurt. And He bids us believe.

That's what The Way of the King is about. It's about keeping the loyalty in the darkest of days. It's about holding onto Hope. It's about the King being worthy.

((the book releases in SIX DAYS! Preorder here!))

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:3-5

~♥~