BEAR HUGS FROM GOD

by Tammy Phillips
April 3, 2021

There is nothing like the hugs of my husband, but his hugs are different.  You know what I mean?   My Papa Abney was a big man.  He was a larger-than-life man to me.  He used to give the best hugs.  They were all encompassing bear hugs.  When he embraced you, he was giving you all the love he had at that moment.  He held nothing back.

On January 14, 2021 the Holy Spirit collided several verses together and showed me how the love of our heavenly Father encompasses us.

This “rabbit trail” began as I was looking at the necklace my precious daughter-in-law to be gave me for Christmas.  It is a gold pendant that has “4110” on it.  She said that she had scanned my blog and that Isaiah 41:10 was a verse she noticed that I often used.

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ … For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ (Isaiah 41:10, 13 NKJV)

As I pondered over 41:10 and I read further to 41:13, a picture came into my mind.  The Lord is holding us up with His right hand and holding our right hand.  For this to happen, He is either bear hugging us like the picture above to the left or He is holding us up with His right hand and looking at us face to face and pulling us gently into Him by holding our right hand.  Either way, He has us in a bear hug and He is not letting go. The word of God tells us over and over again that He is with us and that He will never forsake us.  

An example is when Moses speaks these words to Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 (NKJV):

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” … 8 “And the LORD, He [is] the One who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”  

And, the word of God says that He is with us.  It also promises in Isaiah 52:12 that He goes before us and He has got our back.

“For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

 And again, in Isaiah 58:8 (NKJV):

“Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.” 

Not only does God hold us up with His right hand, go before us, guard our backside, Psalm 118:6 (KJV) tells us that He is also on our left side and our right side. 

The LORD [is] on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Do you see it?  Do you see the all-encompassing love of God, as you look into His eyes full of compassion?  Can you feel the warmth of His adoring touch?  Can you hear His strong, mighty, and comforting voice through the collision of all these scriptures? Can you hear Him gently saying: “I got you; I will hold you up?”  Can see in His caring face His encouraging you to be strong and repeating over and over again, “Do not be afraid.”

I enCOURAGE you to spend some time today meditating on the “bear hug of God.”  The Lord God who loved us so much that He gave His only Son as an exchange for us.  Jesus died so that we could live and have a loving relationship with God, the Creator of the whole universe and God who is LOVE.   The God that I know wants this kind of relationship with you!  Bask in His love.   He has you covered on all sides and holds you tightly in His loving arms.