Head and Shoulders

 

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here comes a time in a little boy's life when he begins to look up to his dad. Now, I don't mean he looks up to him because his dad is so much taller and so much bigger than he is, although this is indeed a factor.  Instead, I mean there comes a time when a little boy really begins to take notice of his dad, and his one thought and wish is to be just like daddy.  Nobody is as smart as daddy, no one is as strong as daddy, no one is as brave as daddy, and no one would ever dare pick a fight with daddy!  This is such a precious time and one that should be cherished by both father and son.

 

I remember feeling this way about my own dad.  He had this wonderful way of making me feel very special and very important.  He used to pick me up and place me on his shoulders and give me a ride.  I loved it up there.  My dad kept his hair cut very short and I used to love to rub my hands through it.  It felt really good, and it made me laugh.  When I was on my dad's shoulders, everything was all right.  I was taller than everyone else and looked down on them.  I knew no one would mess with me up there because if they did, my dad would come to the rescue.  

 

When he picked me up, I could touch the ceiling of the room, I could reach tree branches, I could even pick apples from our tree in the backyard.  When we walked down the street, I never got tired, and I never worried that he would.  Although I am afraid of heights, the thought of falling never occurred to me because I knew that daddy wouldn't let that happen.  I was safe and sound riding on his shoulders, having fun, enjoying being my daddy's special little boy. 

 

It is amazing to me that, as we grow older, we forget these special moments.  Life moves on, we grow up and away, and we begin our own lives.  Yet, every once in a while, what we really want is a ride on daddy's shoulder.  Just once more, just to experience that love, that security, that tenderness, and that special feeling of complete and utter trust. 

 

God fully intends for us to have this experience with him.  This is what he longs for, a relationship with us that is built on trust, love, and security.  Nothing thrills his heart more than when we come to him as a child comes to his father.  God wants to pick us up and put us on His shoulders where we are safe and secure.  Nothing can harm us there; nothing can burden us when we are on is shoulders.  He will not tire, and he will not let us fall.  From that vantage point, we are able to see farther than ever before, and we can reach and touch what was out of our grasp.  God makes all of this possible, and he does so just because he loves us. 

 

Deuteronomy 1:31 is a beautiful passage of scripture which describes God's giving His children a ride on His shoulders.  “The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, ‘and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 

 

Did you notice God's statement in the last line of this passage?  God carried his people out of Egypt in the same way a father carries his son.  My daddy carried me confidently and securely.  I never worried that anything bad would happen because I had complete trust in my father.  My presence on his shoulders was no difficulty for him.  He didn't stop what he was doing, he never changed the way he walked, and he never wavered from performing any of his activities. He just put me on his shoulder, made sure I was holding on firmly, and away we went.   

 

If our earthly fathers can do this for us, just imagine how much more our Heavenly Father longs to do this for his children.  Our burdens are nothing to him.  Nothing we bring to God causes him to stop what he is doing, nothing we bring to him causes God to change his plans, and nothing we bring to Him causes God to shy away from us.  Instead, He scoops us up in his arms, puts us on his shoulders, tells us to hang on tightly to him, and he takes care of the rest.  When we are on his shoulders, we are able to see farther than before, we are able to reach and touch things we could never grasp, and we enjoy a safety and a security we have never known.  What we experience on God's shoulders is peace and safety and contentment. 

 

When is the last time you asked God to give you a ride on his shoulders?  When was the last time you were actually that close to your Heavenly Father?  This is what he is waiting for.  All we have to do is ask!  Why don't you do that right now.  You'll never see things in the same way again.  On his shoulders, everything comes into perspective.  On his shoulders, everything is all right, just the way it's supposed to be! 

 

Thanks daddy!  The rides meant much more than you will ever know!