Love Covers All

My son is six and has been going to a new class at church made up of 1st - 5th graders. Because of the span of grades, this class is obviously bigger than his previous classes. He really has a good time and loves the teaching and energy of the class, but it has been difficult him to connect with other kids and make friends. So the night before church we prayed that God would help him make a friend in next class.

Yesterday was the day. As I was waiting for him to get out of class, I was standing next to a deacon and he said "I guess they had a rough night tonight." He proceeded to tell me that that a girl threw up, a few kids had to speak with deacons regarding their behavior and another kid wet his pants. I agreed, it was a rough night. Before my son emerged, I saw the Grade School pastor and I told him I had heard it was a rough night. I mentioned the sick girl and said I hoped she wasn't upset. Suddenly he told me not to worry about my son as they had gotten him to the bathroom and he seemed OK...apparently he was the one who wet his pants. I was shocked...and then I was confused because he was back in the classroom and far from upset.

As soon as he came out I asked him how it went and asked him to tell me what happened. He said "It was great," and he proceeded to tell me the story of how he was trying to pull his shirt down but he accidentally pulled his pants and they fell down. (He is skinny with long legs so finding pants to fit is always a challenge.) He was embarrassed and thought that someone might see his underwear so he crawled under a desk. Two boys that had seen it happen came up to him and put their sweatshirts around him and then someone led him to the bathroom assuming he'd had an accident. I said, "Did you wet your pants?" And he said "No, but my pants fell down and these two boys covered me up and didn't make fun of me and helped block me so no one saw." I then said "So, it sounds like you made a friend." He said, "No, I made two friends." Isn't that how God is, He loves to spoil His kids by giving us immeasurably more than we ask.

The reason I tell this story is because it struck me that Noah didn't realize he had friends until he experienced the merciful actions of a friend. Or better put, two kids acted out of love for my son by covering something potentially embarrassing and as a result, helped him see that he always did have friends.

Isn't that what God does for us? We love Him because He first loved us (1John 4:19). And while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). For those of us in Christ Jesus, we are covered by his blood, robed in righteousness and the Lord remembers our sin no more (Isaiah 43:25). We can go through this life and not know Jesus is our friend, not because he isn't, but because we fail to open our eyes and experience how His life was given to cover our embarrassing sins. God so loved the World that He sent His one and only son to die for us...he died for us all. But until we accept Jesus' sacrifice as our personal covering, we are not covered. Until we understand His death as the action of a friend and accept Him as the One who loves us perfectly, sacrificially and eternally; we will remain in sin and separated from God.

Today as I was reading in Proverbs God showed me something wonderful in Chapter 10 verse 12: Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. We see a perfect picture of this in Genesis Chapter 9 verses 20-23 "And Noah began [to be] an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father's nakedness."

After leaving the Ark, Noah planted a vineyard. One night he drank too much wine and passed out naked in his tent as a result of his foolish sin. When Ham saw his father, rather than covering him out of love and respect, he tried to stir up trouble by telling his brothers. In love, his brother's not only covered his father's nakedness, but did so in a way as to not to see it. As a result of their actions, Shem and Japheth were blessed...but Ham was cursed. (Gen 9:24-5) Another proverb that speaks to this action is Proverbs 17:9 "He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends." It all comes down to love, and that speaks of relationship (or friendship)...not religion (or ritual).

So through this crazy event in my son's life, the Lord has shown me such a wonderful picture of the constant availability of His love for all people. Are you able to see God's love for you? If you can't, it doesn't mean it isn't there. I want to encourage you to ask Him to show you His hand of friendship in a way you can perceive it unmistakably today. He loves a prayer like that. Like my son, you'll find Him answering you in a way that will exceed your expectations.

"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD...Jeremiah 29: 13-14