“I run in the path of your commands for you have set my heart free.”
It is the knowledge of the truth about the unconditional love of God our Father that sets us free to run in the way of his commands – which are that we love Him and that we love our neighbor as ourselves with this same love.
It is that word “unconditional” that we get stuck over because we have been raised to believe we only get what we deserve. While we may pay lip service to the New Covenant, deep down our hearts are not really “free” because this gospel is just “too good to be true”
But it is true!
In our FREEDOM! retreat we look at Ex.34:6.7. It is the first time God explains himself in answer to Moses request, “Show me your glory” i.e. his essential nature. We are then told God caused his ‘goodness’ to pass before Moses because ‘goodness’ is the essence of God.
I put into modern parlance this list of qualities God then gives to Moses, contrasting them to their opposites.
It goes like this:
“He is NOT a hard, harsh, mean, fickle, bad tempered, begrudging bigot!…
RATHER….
He
….Welcomes me just the way I am
….Understands me.
….Affirms what I do.
….Forgives me when I get it wrong.
….Kindly helps me get it right.
He is
….Always there for me
….Training me in love
….Embracing me as His child.
Because the human authority figures in our lives have all been imperfect we all need our ideas about God to be upgraded. “The Running Father” in the story about the two sons is the best image I can think of to help us with this. I believe it is time for the ‘land of our fathers’ to receive this revelation of The Father so that Patrick’s fire can be rekindled in the heart of Ireland.
In the November 21st blog I wrote about how the number 32. It is written with the letters lamed and beth. The Hebrew word formed by these two letters is leb which means heart. Another word for heart is lebab which means “heart of the father”
32 is the number of Covenant. For example the 32nd time Noah’s name appears in the bible we read, “Then God spoke to Noah…..I myself do establish my COVENANT with you.”
Covenant reveals the heart of the Father and brings about a Father-Son relationship.
In few minutes time, Hilary and I fly from the 32nd State in the USA to the 32 counties of Ireland for the birth of our youngest grandchild. It ‘just happens’ to co-incide with the first of the 32 marathons I spoke of that will happen in Ireland’s 32 counties over the next 9 months.
Verse 32 of Psalm 119 (quoted above) describes the goal – to cross that line where we all, falling into the arms of our running Father’s embrace, discover the meaning of a New Covenant relationship with “Abba” – “For by GRACE are you saved through faith; this is not of your own doing.”
Katey who has been given this vision has invited us to join her to share through songs, stories and prayer to help people connect with “The Running Father” in Counties Dublin, Meath and Kildare on Fridays 25th, January, 1st and 8th February, 2019.
If you are being lead to join us please get in touch and we will give you further details as they become available. We may also be returning to participate further in future ‘run’ week ends, through September 2019.
P.S. The above video was taken as I trained running the local ‘trails.’ At the Trail Head below, the man with the skis walking past quipped when he saw my shorts, “Are you from California?”
P.P.S. The new Sauna Society nearby with the ‘burning bush‘ logo is called 612. Is. 61:2…“To proclaim the year of God’s favor/grace.”
AMEN! May 2019 be that year!
