TODAY IN THE WORD
In his years in the monastery, Martin Luther was gripped by fear of an angry God who could never be pleased. Desperately seeking forgiveness from this distant, wrathful God, Luther confessed his sins three times a day, for as much as six hours at a time, afraid to miss the smallest sin. Moved to the depths of despair, Luther once declared: “Love God? I hated him!” For young Luther, thinking of God brought only fear and anxiety.

Luther understood something about the seriousness of sin and the need for forgiveness, but at that time his picture of God was only half complete, and for that reason, utterly debilitating. While Scripture teaches us about the problem of sin before a high and holy God, the fullest portrayal of the God of the Bible entails His love and forgiveness, His intimacy and grace. Scripture repeatedly depicts God as our parent, using both fatherly and motherly images to express His relationship with us.

Today's passage in Isaiah summarizes well this theme of God as parent. Speaking to Israel, then beleaguered by oppression under foreign rule, God declared His fatherhood to His people. He began by reminding them of “the many good things he has done . . . according to his compassion and many kindnesses” (v. 7). Then, in a brief retelling of Israel's story, God reminded them of how His parenting was expressed in His salvation (v. 8b), in His sharing in their distress (v. 9a), in His love, mercy, and redemption (v. 9b), in His lifting them up and carrying them (v. 9c), and finally in His disciplining them in their rebellion and disobedience (vv. 10-14).

Near the end of the chapter, Isaiah cries out a final reminder of Israel's relationship with their God: He is their Father and Redeemer; this is how He is known (v. 16). Lest we forget this aspect of God's character, this month's study will focus on Scripture's presentation of God, not as a distant, angry deity, but as our intimate and loving parent. Watch for themes from today's passage in the coming days.

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many of us wrestle with feeling that God is a distant, impersonal, even angry deity. Others of us agree that this is an unbiblical view of God, but still struggle to experience the intimacy and love of our personal God. Take time today to pray that this month you will experience a renewed intimacy with God as your loving, merciful, saving Father, and that your life will demonstrate that reality to a world in desperate need of such love.

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