I spent five days by myself in the Bob Marshall wilderness in NW Montana. Four of those days were spent in complete solitude: I talked to myself, and to God. Out of the silence I heard him talk back. He spoke through Deuteronomy 6-10, during hours of “walking and talking” prayer, and [I think] in the the words I wrote in my journal. [At least as they reflected my thoughts as I put together what I read in scripture]
I readily acknowledge the incredible scenery in this part of the world, but it was the landscape of the heart of God that captured my attention.
God as Father carries with it a lot of baggage for many people I’ve known. There’s an inevitable comparison between the Lord and our imperfect dads. Even the best of parents fail sometimes. I don’t suppose I’m any different on that count. I found myself talking to my father God more than ever as I walked, and experienced a deep renewal in my knowing of God as my father. Luther in his explanation of the Lord’s prayer reveals his intimate relationship with his heavenly Father:
Moreover, we confess that God the Father not only has given us all that we have and see before our eyes, but also daily guards and defends us against every evil and misfortune, warding off all sorts of danger and disaster… He gives us all these things so that we may sense and see in them his fatherly heart and his boundless love toward us.
