ON THE VANGUARD

CURLED UP
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Isaiah 43:2

I was thinking last night. I know, either you are not surprised or you are coming up with overly sarcastic remarks to that truth. But in reality, I was thinking last night. As I found myself chatting with a friend I found myself beginning to think back to my days in college. You may or may not know, but standing in the entrance to Oral Roberts University is a monstrous statue of Oral Roberts hands. There are jokes that the hands clap at midnight, but it never seemed to happen when I was there. For me, though, they became a place of refuge and a welcome invitation to meeting with God. You see, many nights I would come out to this statue, lay flat on the cement, and just stare at the hands with only my Bible in hand. I wasn’t worshipping the statue, so please do not be fearful. But instead I would recall the life of Oral and think to myself, “If God can do all this through Oral then what can He do through me?” I would find hours pass by quickly, just resting there in God’s presence. I would spend time praying, but spend equal time listening.
One of the things I love most about being a father is when my children come and sit on my lap or snuggle up next to me. It is in those moments that they feel not only love, but also security. It is also in these times that we seem to have our best conversations. Our walls are down, our hearts are open, and our ears are listening. In that moment what my children say and do becomes the air I breathe. I want to listen, I want to encourage, and I want to show them my love. Is this not the same as how God feels for me when I come to Him and curl up on His lap?
Isaiah 43:2 reads, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” To me this is such an encouraging verse, and I can picture myself as a child being told these words by the one who has vowed to love me. I can see God wrapping His arms around me and letting me know that even when it feels like I am alone, He is right there with me. My life is His interest. I am at peace hearing these words even now, as I reflect on what I have already come through. I am also at peace as I consider what else lies ahead. Whatever it is that I will face still, whatever waters, rivers, fires or flames, I know that God is my protection. In His promise I find myself curling up.
Sometimes I long to travel back to Tulsa, to lie in that old peaceful place again and look up at those massive hands. That place was in essence the lap I would crawl up into. But that is not the only place I can hear God. And that is not the only place that I can feel comfort in. It was a landmark for my faith, but not the only place where my faith was able to grow. His lap is all around, and His presence close at hand. What is stopping me from curling up with Him now? Nothing at all. And what is stopping you? Again, nothing. Maybe it is time then that we do just that. Maybe it is time we crawl into the lap of our Father where the safety, protection, and love rest, and hear once more the words He longs to encourage us with.