Have you ever asked God for a hug?
Honestly, I hadn’t even thought to ask my Heavenly Father for one until studying His character a few years ago. And between then and now I’ve only asked Him for a hug one other time, read about it here.
One Monday night I left bible study feeling scared and anxious. For years my mind and heart have struggled over the particular topic of discussion that night. I got into my car and began to desperately pray. I prayed for God’s reassurance and comfort with great determination in my heart. I was tired of the topic sending me into a storm of fear and uncertainty. I knew that He didn’t want that for me. He never wants that for you either.
Written on my heart and in the pages of His Word are promises that contradicted the dark lies screaming in my brain that night after bible study.
I asked Him to give me a hug–a big one– because the fear swirling over my head was beginning to engulf my emotions. I needed to crawl onto my Daddy’s lap and feel the safety of His embrace. His Word promises peace (Phil 4:6-7) and as I sought Him in prayer, the unexplainable peace, the I-know-I-was-just-freaking out-but-for-some-reason-I’m-not-anymore peace began to wash over my heart because I asked Him for it (John 16:24) and I sincerely trusted that He would give it to me (1 Peter 5:7). I needed His peace.
I want to pause my story for a second and give some application to God’s love for His children. When my son comes up to me in the kitchen and asks me for a glass of water would I give him a venomous snake instead? What would you do for a child?
As a human, I want to fulfill the need of my child. He is thirsty. I know water is good for thirst. I give it to him. Not only would I give it to him but, ya know what? I might even give him a glass of milk instead just because I know him and I know he loves milk so much. Cause I love him. The milk quenches his thirst thus fulfilling his need but, because of our intimate relationship with each other, it is also an unspoken gift of love as it goes beyond his need and taps in to the physical desire of his taste buds.
Now if I gave him a snake, I know a snake would harm him and it definitely would not fulfill his need. It may distract him from his thirst or, in all honesty, make him run out of the kitchen screaming but I digress. The point is I would never give him a snake if he asked for water.
How much more would our Heavenly Father fulfill our heart’s request? Take a look at Matthew 7:11
If you then, being sinful in nature, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
So, I asked God for a hug. My soul had a need. My heart was unsure. The fear was clouding my vision of the promises. But, God came alongside and filled the need, swept the fear away, and reminded me of His promises. To be honest, I thought that was the end of the story. He gave me peace when I asked for it Monday night driving home. I asked for a hug. He embraced me, gave me reassurance and safety.
But, guess what? Just a few days later He gave me a big ol’ glass of cold milk.
Monday night was bible study and on Thursday afternoon I received a text message from a friend I hadn’t heard from in a long time. Her internship was coming to an end at Disney World and she had tickets she needed to use. She said she thought of our family straight away.
I cried. I was in awe of what God was revealing to me. He was showing me an intimate detail of His relationship with me. I’m not sure if there is ever any way I could convey, even to my husband, how intimate and special this one act of God’s love through someone was. I mean, my husband knows I love Disney. Like a lot. Like really really a lot. But it was so much more than a whispering prayer granted (that had absolutely nothing to do with fear or anxiety or the topic discussed in that Monday night bible study). It was that in my relationship with my Father, I asked Him for a hug. I asked Him for a soul hug–please let me state clearly that I needed fulfillment on a spiritual level–and He satisfied that thirst and took it a step further and fulfilled a tiny in-the-back-of-my-mind whimsical fleshly desire that was personal to me.
So what’s your point?
My point is that as a child of the living God (living, breathing and active GOD), you are loved. You are so intimately loved by Him. He desires a relationship with you. He desires that you go to Him for every fear, anxiety, hope, joy and decision. He wants to bless you. His priority is to bless your soul. But sometimes that coincides with blessing your physical world too. It may not be in the form of meeting Mickey but, go on, just ask for a hug and see what happens.
If you would like to know the intricate details of this hug, pieces fitting together perfectly as only God can do, please read this post.
Photo by Park Troopers on Unsplash