Day Seventy-seven – Matthew 24:36-44

It is possible to take select passages from the Bible and form a picture of God in which he is an infinitely superior Being who is beyond the reach of humankind, yet very demanding. This view is consistent with the notion that we were on his bad side from the day of our birth and must always fight the negative momentum of our moral flaws. So, even when trying our hardest to please him, we are still breaking rules we never knew existed.

In the heart and mind of Jesus, God was “the Father”–not only his Father, but “our Father.” The God whom Jesus represented was the one Person we could count on to care for us, watch over us, and in his mercy treat us with compassion, kindness, and understanding.

Jesus did not think is was necessary for him to know the day of his return–it was enough that the Father knows. In fact, there are many things that are known to “the Father alone.” God knows what breaks our hearts, gets to us, makes us feel like giving up. God knows the number of our days and everything else there is to know about us. Our “Father alone” can be trusted with this information (Ps. 139). He uses it to heal, guide, and protect us as we journey through life.

O Jesus, Son of the Father, we thank You for entering our world and through Your words, deeds, and life, reveal to us the heart of God. In Your goodness we discover that, even when we disappoint Him, the Father loves us. We realize our responsibility to learn truth and solve riddles that hinder our growth, but we also understand that there are things we cannot know and it is best to leave them to the Father. O Lord, strengthen our trust in You.