The Hug and the Bow

This sunny Sunday at Realife, God showed up and brought breathtakingly powerful worship which shook the building and left even the musicians in awe. He then gave Ps. E yet another gem. The message was entitled ‘The Hug and the Bow,’ which you can download here.

A hug and a bow are two simple gestures, and ones that commonly crop up in the everyday. However, the Bible gives a completely different and more powerful meaning to them.

Firstly, the hug. Hugging is a symbol of love and protection. It induces emotions that make us feel wanted and appreciated. God loves us in the same way, and ten million times more so. He wraps us in His arms every time we drink a glass of clean water, or go and visit living relatives, or get the chance to have a hot meal at the end of a long working day. His sending Jesus and giving salvation is a massive, incomprehensibly gigantic hug from Him to us. And it’s His hug - His love - that leads us to repentance, according to the Bible. My favourite of the pastor’s lines on this topic: ‘His love doesn’t abound for nothing. It abounds for you, and for me!’

Then the bow. Bowing is a symbol of respect. It implies reverence and gratitude. When actors bow after performing in a play, they do so to tell their audience that they are grateful, and respect their attention and time after having served them. So it is, but again on a much, much larger scale, with God. His majesty is so large that we cannot help but bow in His presence.

We need a balance of both the hug (the encapsulating love of God) and the bow (the utmost reverence for Him) in our Christian walk.

But that wasn’t all! The message continued, and joy wrapped around each family member this Sunday, so make sure you download the full sermon to be inspired for yourself!

Have a lovely week, and make sure you finalise your Christmas preparations!

God bless,

Emma W.