So I was reading in 1 Kings this morning- the part where Elijah ran away to hide at Mt. Horeb when God spoke to him and asked him why he was there. The God told him to come stand before Him... Elijah waited in the cave while a violent wind that broke apart the rocks on the mountain, then the earthquake, and finally the fire. All these thing passed before the LORD, but the LORD was not in them... but then, but then a sound of a low whisper... Elijah heard it and recognized it as the voice of the LORD and he wrapped his face in his cloak and stood at the entrance of the cave at which time the LORD spoke to him gently, tenderly, reassuringly giving him direction of what he was to do. God was did not confront Elijah with frustration or anger, impatience or disappointment when he ran away in fear of his life. It was quite the opposite. He met Elijah with compassion and love.
Oh, how I ferget that gentle, tender, reassuring nature of the LORD! Yes, I'm forgiven, I'm redeemed, but more often than not I imagine God in anger/disappointment mode with all my daily failures. Yes, I know in my mind that gentle, loving part of His nature, but in my daily walk do I really live like I believe that? Sadly for the most part, no.
My prayer is that my Lord would break down that barrier of how I view Him according to my personal life experience and really show me who He is according to His Word...