A Place of Belonging

by Morgan Krueger

We often project onto God the image we want Him to fit into. Simply put: we make Him small in our minds. We get uncomfortable thinking of a God we cannot fully grasp or make tangible this side of heaven. I’ve heard it cleverly put that just as God created us in His image, we tend to return the favor throughout our lives.

If you’re anything like me, it can be such a challenge as a finite human being to comprehend His infinite vastness and wonder. But as we are finite, God is infinite. As we find ourselves limited, God is limitless. As we are the created, He is the Creator.

As seen in Genesis, God created (in order): light (day), dark (night), waters, land, crops, moon, sun, and then living creatures (Gen. 1:3–25).

While He saw that all His creation was “good,” up until this point, nothing had been made in the imago Dei (the image of God). It was all pleasing to God but didn’t bear His image or imprint. But God still wasn’t done.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27).

One thing that Moses, the author of Genesis, is helping us see here is that God is intentional. He is deliberate with what He makes, but He’s also highly detailed in the order in which He creates. Order matters.

I have a friend who loves to do puzzles. It calms her and helps her unwind after a long day. So naturally, when Christmas rolled around, I wanted to find her the perfect puzzle. After much searching, I found a beautiful vintage butterfly one that I couldn’t wait to give her. Not only that, but I also was eager to see the final product.

You see, what I learned from my friend is that puzzling is an art. It takes intentionality and order. Any good puzzler knows that when starting a puzzle, you must put together the border first. It’s simple: locate the pieces with straight edges and put them all together to create the framework, and only then can you make your way inward. And that’s exactly what she did.

I know I’m biased, but let me tell you, the end result was such a beautiful formation of what was meant to be all along. A collage of some of the most beautiful and rare butterflies on earth. But without her intentional order or plan of action, beginning to end, the puzzle would have never been what it was supposed to be—finished.

Order matters. And if it matters that much with a puzzle, how much more did God put intention into His creation order? Out of all creation, He created humankind last.

I believe that one reason God created us last is because He wanted us to know from the very start that He, our Abba, goes before us in all things. What an invitation. To see God this way—as Abba—means in the Greek to see Him as “Daddy.” This is a God who longs for you and me to see Him in the most intimate form of a father and to cry out to Him, “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:15).

Like an Abba . . .

He didn’t make us wait on an earth that was void.

He didn’t make us stand in the darkness as He created light.

He didn’t want to deprive us of the beauty of the seas, moon, stars, and the rest of His wonderful creation that points to His glory.

He didn’t make us wait for our home to be prepared, but instead created us right in the middle of it.

I think that God wants us to know that what He did in Eden, He will do again and again and again: make a way for us. He will always prepare a place for us. A place of safety and belonging. He will always give light to the darkness for us. He will always whisper to us in our moments of doubt that we are not a misfit to Him.

With God, we will always have a seat at the table. What He did in the beginning is what He will continue to do throughout our entire lives. It’s who He is and who He will always be: our true place of belonging.

We will never feel fully alive until we experience the depth of the warm embrace offered to us by our heavenly Father.

I’ll never forget the safety and assurance I felt in my dad’s arms when I was younger. My dad was a six-foot, lean-framed man with blue eyes that personified gentleness and purity of heart. He was lovely. His kindness shone on everyone, and he spent his adult life stewarding work well, loving his family, and investing in younger men who were seeking to follow God. I loved him so much and knew he undoubtedly loved me. No matter where he was, that’s where I wanted to be. I didn’t question how often, how deep, or for how long I could stay in his arms.

Each night, I would stay right there, because where else would I go? I’d stay cuddled up with him, having no doubt that it was me who belonged there and no one else. When I was with him, I knew that I was safe. I was seen. I was home.

Isn’t that exactly the pursuit of our heavenly Father toward us, but so much better? Doesn’t the creation story this far show that God has extended an invitation for us to eternally abide in Him? To cry out to Him as Abba?

God has gone before us to show us He is safe. He is trustworthy. He isn’t going anywhere. He doesn’t just provide a home. He is our home. The God of Eden is the same God that is pursuing us right now through these pages. May our restless souls find rest in Him.

Adapted from Goodbye Hiding, Hello Freedom by Morgan Krueger (© 2024). Published by Moody Publishers. Used by permission.

Morgan Krueger is a Jesus follower, wife, mother, and author who found her voice connecting with women seeking freedom from the brokenness of past shame. Passionate about the redemption found in following Jesus, Morgan aims to keep that at the center of all she does. Morgan works at Faithfully Restored, and is grateful to be a part of a ministry that offers the hope of Jesus in the midst of suffering. In her downtime, you can find Morgan enjoying the significance of the mundane, including spending time with her two sons, encouraging women through words, and adventuring with her husband in Franklin, TN. Learn more about Morgan at morgankrueger.com.