The past several days I have emerged from my house in the morning to see a beautiful pink and yellow sky. I look up at it and take a breath of fresh, crisp air. It’s intoxicating. Every time I see the sunrise I am reminded of how faithful God is. He makes that happen every morning. He’s holding everything together.
In the morning the blanket of darkness is pulled off and light touches everything that was dark before. I remember that blanket of darkness. I used to think it was so comfortable, until I realized it was smothering me. I used to rest in its warmth, until I realized it was artificial. The warmth of a blanket is nothing compared to the warmth of an embrace. I didn’t realize it, but the blanket was so disabling. It covers you with false security, wrapping itself around you like a straight-jacket, trapping you in bed, keeping you from life.
An embrace enables. While the blanket locks you into a sleepy prison, an embrace keeps you warm and frees you to live and explore, all with the company of another by your side. Like the faithfulness of the sunrise, Jesus has been so faithful to take me by the hand, pull me out of the darkness, and lead me into light. The false-warmth of the dark blanket chills while the warmth of fresh light invigorates and inspires. The light surrounds. It embraces. And I realize that the one who causes the sun to rise every morning, the one who holds all things together, is holding my hand.
He’s holding your hand. He’s pulling you from the darkness. He’s leading you into the true warmth of light. But he doesn’t just hold your hand to pull you from darkness or to lead you to light. He holds your hand because he loves holding your hand. This is the love that Jesus has for us.
You are not a project.
You are not something he’s working on.
You are a person.
You are someone he loves dearly who he is wooing into his love, who he is drawing into his eternal embrace forever. He has relationship with us because he desires relationship with us. He’s not angry. He’s not upset. He simply longs to love you and for you to receive that love. For your joy and for his glory. Lean into him. Be wrapped up in the warmth of his embrace. He loves you and he’s leading you in the adventure that is life with him.
Drew Dixon 