The Father's Lap (Friday Devotional)

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

- Psalm 28:7

Lately, my daughter Katherine has picked up a new habit. When we’re sitting on the floor and she decides she wants to read a book, she’ll approach me, turn around, and plop down in my lap without warning. Only then will she look up at me and point insistently at the book she wants to read.

Something about that act of falling into my lap manages to speak to me every time she does it. On the one hand, it’s an expression of closeness, something reserved for me and her mother. Furthermore, it’s a moment of tenderness, a manifestation of a desire to be close to me. But most of all, it’s an act of trust—when she turns around and sits down, she knows I’m going to be there.  Crawling into my lap isn’t something she has to think about—it’s second nature for a child who knows her father loves her.

We are offered the same kind of relationship with our Father in heaven. Scripture consistently speaks of God as a refuge where we can find shelter, as one we can go to at any time. Far from being some distant tyrant, the Bible describes God as a loving Father who welcomes his children with warmth and protection.

Just as my daughter trusts me to be there for her, we are assured that God is always with us, that he never abandons us or pushes us to the side. He is never too busy for your prayers, never too preoccupied for your devotion, and never unwilling to receive you. You can come to him trusting that he is ready for you, no matter the time or the circumstance. The Father’s lap is open—with the faith of a child, have a seat.