Carried in His Loving Arms

And in the desert you saw how the Lord your God carried you, like one carries a child. And he has brought you safely all the way to this place.”  Deuteronomy 1:31

When I read this verse all I could think of was the picture of two sets of footprints on a beach and then only one and the poem Footprints In The Sand. Even back when Israel was walking in the desert He wanted them to know He was carrying them. And not just carrying them, but in a specific way, as a father.

Now most Dad’s generally pick their kids up haphazardly, may toss them up in the air, and even rough house with them. Well, that is until one of them is hurt, tired or sleeping. Then the carry is all together different. There is a softness as they pick them up, a gentle embrace that cradles their little bodies with their protective strong arms. You can see on their little faces they feel safe and secure. The Dad’s show loving concern and care. Even if the child got hurt because they didn’t listen to the Dad’s warnings, that’s not important now, taking care of his child is.

That’s just like our Abba, His love for us goes so deep, He comes to our rescue and carries us, no matter why we need Him to carry us. Lately I’ve heard way too many people say they are afraid God is mad at them and He’s punishing them. But Jesus took our punishment on the cross for us, and now He lovingly corrects us, so that we can not only learn from it, but that we can help others see Him as He truly is, a loving, gracious Father who wants the best for His children. So if you’re feeling alone, tired, weary, hopeless like you just can’t go on, picture yourself being carried in the loving arms of your Abba Father who will take you safely to where you need to go.