It was almost closing time and a cup of hot soup was calling my name.
After returning from the soup aisle, I sent my technician home for the night. Business was winding down and I was looking forward to a slow uneventful last hour. Just me and my soup.
But the silence was short lived. Within less than two minutes, a young man approached my pharmacy counter. Interestingly enough, I had noticed this man on my way to the soup aisle. He was wearing a hoodie and a jacket (nothing against hoodies or jackets, it was just an observation). He had no cart, no basket and no groceries. And now here he is, at my counter.
“Hi, how can I help you.” I asked as I began walking towards him.
The man looked behind him then looked straight at me. “Just hanging out.”
Hanging out? Who walks around a grocery store, buys no groceries and then hangs out at the pharmacy?
One thousand thoughts filled my mind. None were good. That’s it. I’m being robbed. My heart began to race. His hand reached to the inside pocket of his jacket. Confirming my fears all the more. He then proceeded to pull something out.
“Shhhh,” he motioned.
My brain was in panic mode. Who is this guy, why is he at my counter and why is he ‘shhh-ing’ me? It took a few seconds for my brain to register what I just saw. It was shiny…but it wasn’t a weapon. It was a badge. A security badge.
This man was working undercover and was there to protect our store…and me.
Boy, did I misjudge this guy!
Have you ever misjudged someone? Have you ever misjudged God?
I know have.
When things don’t go as planned. When doors close in my face. When an unexpected illness arises. One thousand thoughts fill my mind. None of which are good. Does God care? Is He even aware of what’s going on? Has He stopped loving me?
How many times have I misjudged the heart of God?
In 1 John 4:10, the Apostle John states, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” This same John wrote the famous John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..”
John, the beloved disciple, wanted to make sure we knew what he knew so well.
God loves you.
All sixty six books of the Bible reveal His love for us. From Genesis to Revelation, God quietly reaches into His pocket and shows us His badge. His badge of security. His badge of love.
However disheartening our circumstances, I pray we never misjudge the heart of the one who watches over us. The heart of our Heavenly Father. Even when we doubt His presence, God is there…working undercover.
He is our defender, our protector, our shield.
He is our security.
-Binu
Photo Credit: Down to Earth Organic and Natural
