“He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.”
Isaiah 40:11
If you grew up with a strong, hard-working dad, it might be hard to picture God as gentle, or to imagine Him holding you in His arms or carrying you. Your thoughts of the Great Shepherd may include slaying lions and bears to protect sheep. Perhaps it’s easier to see God as a mighty warrior than a gentle shepherd.
Regardless of the kind of father (or mother) we grew up with, every parent will fall short in modeling the goodness and greatness, the strength, and the gentleness of God.
God is the perfect balance. He is strong and powerful. And He is also kind and gentle.
In our world of action heroes and athletic events, the strong and powerful are the ones often pictured as victorious.
Our culture often mistakes gentle for weak.
But gentle is not weak. This facet of God’s nature displays His love and compassion.
He was strong enough to defeat death and loving enough to want to.
When I discovered the verse above as a young mom, it seemed it was flashing neon lights – highlighted just for me. I remember wanting desperately to be a good mother, to raise my children well, to invest in them, sacrifice for them, provide, nurture, protect, and love them. But I also realized I was inadequate for the task. (And as time went on, that became even more apparent!)
When I considered my inadequacy, this verse brought great reassurance to my heart. Though I was insufficient, God was – and is – all-sufficient. He would lead me, so I could lead them. My job was to follow Him. And His leading was gentle. Kind. Loving.
As I read that verse all those years ago, I remember tears in my eyes and a grateful ache in my heart as I realized my Jesus understood. Because He created me, He knew the heavy responsibility of keeping a tiny human alive, the challenge to love and sacrifice while sleep deprived, to stretch one income to cover all the needs. The challenges grew with the children; each new season from elementary to adolescence and teens brought new hard things.
He knew. He saw. I was not alone. He was with me then. And, of course, continues to be with me now that my young have young of their own!
Thank you, Jesus, for gathering me close and keeping me near your heart. Thank you for being faithful when I was faithless, for filling in missing holes in my mothering, and loving my children even more than I do. Thank you for being gentle with me when I was harsh with myself. How I praise you for keeping me close then and keeping me close now. Thank you for gently leading me.
More than a week remains in our study of the character traits of God this month …
and it’s never too late to join us!
Visit Write The Word: Character Traits of God and download your free verse list and S.O.A.P. study pages today!
Visit them at AReasonFor.com to explore their excellent, scripture-based resources for home education.