by Steve Gallagher

Long before I became an author I was an avid reader. I have always thoroughly enjoyed reading a good book—a pastime that continues to this day. However, while I read for the purpose of enjoyment, there are occasions when I stumble upon bad grammar or perhaps a poorly constructed sentence. Be that as it may, the reason I picked up the book was not to find mistakes but simply to enjoy a “good read.”

So it is with the Lord when He looks upon His children. He is not looking at them with the idea of finding fault but simply to enjoy them.

Any loving father understands this phenomenon. Perhaps from his vantage point in the house, a father can watch his 4-year-old son playing in the yard. He could practically stand there for hours glowing in parental love. But if his son should find some matches and start to light a pile of dry leaves on fire, suddenly the father is out the door yelling! As Hebrews says, “Whom the Lord loves He disciplines and He scourges every son whom He receives.” (12:6)

Whether or not you think much about it, your life is an open book to the Lord. As the writer of Hebrews also noted, “all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” (4:13) And there may be those occasions when He must correct bad grammar or poor punctuation. But let the child of God never forget that His point for picking up the book in the first place was simply so that He might enjoy it.

Rather than seeing the Lord as a scrutinizing editor, perhaps it would be more accurate to see Him curled up next to a glowing fire on a rainy day, completely lost in what is to Him a riveting story. Yes, your story… a book He considers to be “must reading.”

Editor’s Note:

Believe it or not, this Steve Gallagher character is the very same guy who gave us the blog entry, entitled, Tactic#54 - you know, the post that sounded strangely similar to something that might have emerged from the mind of C.S. Lewis.   If you haven’t yet read that blog post, you should (click here).  It’s great stuff.  However, it’s important to note - Steve Gallagher is more than just a Lewis knock-off, he’s also the president of Pure Life Ministries in Dry Ridge, Kentucky.  He’s a prolific writer, authoring over twelve books, but my favorite thing about his resume is that he used to be a no-nonsense cop in L.A. Isn’t that cool? He’s got that one look in his eyes that makes bad guys break down, cry, and confess all their sins.  Oh, and If you scored higher than fifteen on the The Quiz, then Steve is the kind of guy built just for your spiritual taste buds. 

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