My 10-month-old son taught me something about God’s heart for his children today. He just learned to crawl, and it looks something like a gimp: one leg in normal crawling position, and one straight out to the side. I love it 🙂

He was playing near me on the kitchen floor. I was also on the floor, on my face praying. He caught me eye, giggled, gimp-crawled the few feet to me, and began grasping for my hands so he could stand. Without waiting to see if I was ready, if I would catch him, he simply threw all his weight from the floor into me, fully trusting that I would be there to help him stand and walk. If I didn’t stop what I was doing to respond, he would have fallen on his face.

I saw his childlike faith that his mommy loved him, wanted to help him, would help him if he put himself in her hands. It just wasn’t a question for him. He trusted me, and I saw it because he DID it. He did an act of faith. “Do I trust my heavenly Father like that?” I wondered. Do I unquestioningly, with no hesitation, in the good and the bad, throw myself into his arms, knowing He has always loved me and will always help me?

No, I don’t. Sometimes I doubt His character and don’t trust Him. But that’s not the point. Of course I don’t. I still sin and fail to trust my Savior and my God. Whether I fail or trust, my Father is here with me. My track record isn’t the point, because He is faithful to catch me, to help me, to call me back when I stray, to encourage me, to rebuke me when I am stubborn. Because I am his daughter. Because he is my Father. Because His love for me is constant. Because He is only good. Because He is sovereign.

Because God alone is completely trustworthy.

Whether I trust him or not, this is always true of him, and as I get to know his character, it drives me to worship and trust. God is the main point here. Any change in my trust of him will happen as I pursue intimacy with Jesus and get to know my God (aka abiding with him). Thank God, He changes me. I can’t change myself.

If I, an imperfect mother, love my child enough to catch him, imagine a perfect Father’s heart for his kid. 1 Corinthians 1:25 says God’s weakness is greater than man’s strength, and his foolishness is greater than man’s wisdom. I imagine the same is true of his love.