What is the first thing that happens when we have done something we know is wrong? The “accuser of the brethren” is immediately piling thick layers of condemnation onto our emotions. Often we hang our head and slink away from the presence of God, ashamed. This instinctive reaction goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. As soon as they fell, they hid from their Creator.
But Daddy God doesn’t want us to slink away. He doesn’t want us to hide far away. Instead, He wants us to hide ourselves in the shelter of His waiting arms.
An experience I had with my daughter Anna brought this truth home to me in a powerful way. When she was around three years old, there was a particular occasion when she had deliberately disobeyed me. Not being the perfect parent that God is, I had raised my voice and reprimanded her in a spirit of impatience.
I then anticipated that she would steal away to another room and cover her face in her arms. I imagined that her guilt would keep her separated from me for a while.
Instead, she ran to me. She threw her little arms around my legs and looked up at me imploringly with tears rolling down her cheeks. “Please forgive me, Mommy!”
Instantly, my heart melted. I wrapped my arms around her too and we were immediately reconciled. I held her so close, and all of the pain of the incident was entirely washed away in love. The distance between us was gone.
Right then, Holy Spirit spoke to my heart. “When you sin, please don’t run away!” I heard His gentle voice say. “Do just like your precious daughter did. Run right into my arms!”
Daddy God can’t bear it when, in our embarrassment, we begin to avoid Him. His heart has no desire for you to punish yourself for the sin Jesus already absorbed and conquered at the cross. His blood is immediately available to cleanse you from all guilt and shame.
No matter what you have done, no matter how many times, He has paid for them all. He is aching for you to return to His waiting embrace!
“If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 2:1-2, NET).
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When you are aware of having made a mistake, do you run to Daddy?
Feeding On Jesus 
Sorry to say, Jennifer, not often enough. At times I WAIT for a more appropriate time! This is a TRAP of the enemy, for often I forget or gloss over the offense before the Lord. This allows me to try and vindicate myself [pride] and just say, God understands. Yes, He surely does, but that does not work in us. We begin to belittle sin and it continues to grow.
The answer, confess in the moment, no one else need be aware. We do this in the spirit and receive His ongoing love immediately. Len Wisniewski
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Wow, good point! I guess the two extremes to avoid are overestimating sin’s power to destroy our relationship with our Father, and underestimating the seriousness of sin.
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Excellent way to sum it up, Ann! It’s amazing to me how many truths in the Bible have a companion truth that go with them, where we need both (or even more than two) to get the whole picture 🙂
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Trying to excuse and vindicate oneself tends to be my first reaction as well. I’ve had to work on that!
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Yes! He is so eager to restore us unto Himself immediately! I read a quote from Mark Virkler that stuck out to me and has stayed with me, from years ago. He said that sin is actually not the biggest downfall of the believer; it’s a lack of repentance that is! He has provided His blood for the sin problem. But without repentance, we don’t appropriate that provision that He made! I so appreciate your transparent sharing, my brother. May Holy Spirit empower us all to respond more and more quickly to His wooing!
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I make sure I run quick fast and in a hurry. I just wish that I didn’t keep making the same recurring mistake where I have to keep apologizing for it. Hopefully one day I will stop for good.
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How wonderful that you run to Him quickly! I know He will be faithful to continue empowering you as you need it, in your growth journey. Thank you so much for taking the time to share! Grace and peace be yours in abundance 🙂
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No problem this is a awesome blog post that needed. To be talked about. I’m just glad that you took the time to write it.
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Truly grateful! What a joy to share about His goodness!
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Amen to that. 🙏😉🙏
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🙂 🙂
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How blessed we are to be His children. Blessings. 🙂
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Yes!! I am so glad we have eternity to keep on expressing our gratitude for adopting us! Thank you so much for taking the time to share that 🙂 His richest blessings to you too! 🙂
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Great truth here, Jennifer. We do have a tendency to run away and hide, for sure. When, like the father welcoming the prodigal son home, we waits for us with arms wide open. How silly we can be!
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Thank you, Sheila! His Daddy heart really is so beautiful, so welcoming! And yet we forget that and act like that son, thinking He’ll be angry. I’m soooooooooooooo grateful for His relentless patience to keep teaching us what’s really in His heart!
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Me too, he is good!!
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So, so good! ❤
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Yes. I could not survive in the physical with out the Father in the spiritual. Ty. 🙂
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Amen, Bonnie. Amen and amen. ❤ ❤
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:))
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I think this is the first time it really stood out to me that the father ran to the son. God will meet us where we are!
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What a beautiful revelation, LaRonda. Wow. Yes, He always will! And He yearns to do so! Thank you ❤
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I love Timothy Keller’s book Prodigal God. He points this out and makes other compelling points that opened my eyes to the God’s grace.
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Sounds like an amazing book!
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Thanks for the recommendation!
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Jennifer, thanks for your encouraging words. In the past when I signed, I would avoid God and I would condemn my actions with a heavy heart. The more that I study God’s word has taught me to reach out to my Lord in humility.
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It brings my heart joy to know that He has been teaching you to do so, my brother! May He empower us all in this journey more and more to run to Him immediately! 🙂
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Thank you Jennifer for expressing so beautifully this profound TRUTH. In our current strife torn world God’s Children need to know the depth of the Father’s Love to them. The cost of our ransom was GREAT. Now we must be certain that repentance and forgiveness are constantly used on our journey so we are READY to be changed and perfected into the image of the One who will come again!. ? how soon ? Only He knows.
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Amen, my sister. Truly knowing His love in the depths of our hearts changes everything. We say, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
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Instead, she ran to me. She threw her little arms around my legs and looked up at me imploringly with tears rolling down her cheeks. “Please forgive me, Mommy!”
Thank you for reminding us just how simple it is Jennifer. Loving on your precious Anna and YOU!!
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Aw, you are so welcome, my sweet sister! Sending you so much love back, with the biggest hug!! ❤ ❤ ❤
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