在2017年，一段視頻引起了國際關注，因它捕捉到了父親對孩子的愛。視頻顯示一名兩個月大的嬰兒因接受常規疫苗接種而哭鬧，他的父親如何親切地安撫他。當護士完成疫苗注射後，那位父親溫柔地抱起兒子，讓他貼近自己的臉頰，僅短短幾秒，他兒子就停止了哭泣。的確，實在沒有什麼比慈愛父母的關愛，更讓人安心了。

在聖經中，有多處經文將上帝描述為一位慈愛的父親，而這些描述使人想起上帝對祂兒女們深切的愛。在王國分裂時期，舊約先知何西阿領受了一個信息傳給生活在北國的以色列人。何西阿呼籲以色列人恢復與上帝的關係。他將上帝描繪成一位溫柔的父親，提醒以色列人上帝是何等地愛他們，正如上帝說：「以色列年幼的時候，我愛他」（何西阿書11章1節）；「我待他們就像人抱起嬰兒到胸前。」（4節，呂振中譯本）

同樣地，上帝慈愛的應許對我們也是真實的。無論我們是因為曾經拒絕上帝的愛，或是因生活中的痛苦和患難而尋求祂溫柔的愛護，祂都會稱我們為祂的兒女（約翰一書3章1節），祂會張開雙臂接納我們、安慰我們（哥林多後書1章3-4節）。

A 2017 video of a dad comforting his two-month-old son while the baby received his routine vaccinations garnered international attention for the way it captured a dad’s love for his child. After the nurse finished administering the vaccinations, the dad tenderly held his son close to his cheek, and the boy stopped sobbing within seconds. There’s almost nothing more reassuring than the tender care of a loving parent.

In Scripture, there are many beautiful descriptions of God as a loving parent, images that invoke God’s deep love for His children. Old Testament prophet Hosea was given a message to deliver to the Israelites living in the Northern Kingdom during the time of the divided kingdom. He called them to return to a relationship with God. Hosea reminded the Israelites of God’s love for them as he pictured God as a gentle Father: “when Israel was a child, I loved him” (Hosea 11:1) and “to them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek” (v. 4).

This same reassuring promise of God’s loving care is true for us. Whether we seek His tender care after a season where we’ve rejected His love or because of pain and suffering in our lives, He calls us His children (1 John 3:1) and His comforting arms are open to receive us (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).