July 6
Hope Rises From the Heart of the Father
Some believers grow up with a version of God who is mostly disappointed, angry, or distant. As a result, many around the world struggle to connect with God as Father because of these distortions.
But when we realize that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, our preconceived ideas about the Father’s nature are broken down, and we can finally see the Father through the life of His Son.
Jesus shows us a Father who: • Lifts burdens, not adds them • Seeks the lost, not abandons them • Heals the broken, not shames them • Forgives generously, not reluctantly • Restores sinners, not rejects them • Runs toward His children, not away from them.
This is why hope is both possible and rational—it is also Christian. Hope does not ignore reality; instead, it acknowledges the deepest truth:
The Father's heart is always to restore what was lost.
A Love Beyond Measure: Pages 108-109
Some believers grow up with a version of God who is mostly disappointed, angry, or distant. As a result, many around the world struggle to connect with God as Father because of these distortions.
But when we realize that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, our preconceived ideas about the Father’s nature are broken down, and we can finally see the Father through the life of His Son.
Jesus shows us a Father who: • Lifts burdens, not adds them • Seeks the lost, not abandons them • Heals the broken, not shames them • Forgives generously, not reluctantly • Restores sinners, not rejects them • Runs toward His children, not away from them.
This is why hope is both possible and rational—it is also Christian. Hope does not ignore reality; instead, it acknowledges the deepest truth:
The Father's heart is always to restore what was lost.
A Love Beyond Measure: Pages 108-109