Thanks for stopping by! This is Day 5 of my 2015 “31 Days Reflecting on God” series. Find the rest over here. 
Like a shepherd he tends his flock;
he gathers up the lambs with his arm;
he carries them close to his heart;
he leads the ewes along. Isaiah 40:11
In a world where we celebrate toughness, calling God “gentle” can seem out of place. If a person is gentle, we feel they may get taken advantage of. They might miss their chance to make something of themselves. After all, how can you get ahead if you gently wait your turn? How can a quiet voice be heard above the noise?
But in the middle of our noise, we are all craving gentleness. Being gentle doesn’t mean being a wimp. It means not being severe, rough or violent. The gentle person doesn’t shove others out of the way. He is strong enough to wait his turn and endure the hard things that may come if he doesn’t insist on his own way.
Jesus called himself “gentle and humble in heart.” Unlike a lot of Christians today, he didn’t push himself forward, insisting that people listen to him, fighting for attention and support for his cause, desperate to gain followers. He simply existed, spoke the truth, showed love, and waited for others to step toward him.
God can be gentle because he doesn’t have to fight to get ahead. He is the head over everything. He has nothing to lose by waiting for us. He doesn’t need to fear someone else being louder than he is. He knows that for us to know him is our highest good, and nothing can threaten that truth.
So he waits for us, quietly. He speaks kind, caring words to our hearts to win our friendship. He shows himself to us in the way we need him to – whether that’s with flashing lights or in the calm after the storm.
Even the strongest person in the world needs to be treated gently. We are fragile and insecure at heart. God doesn’t throw us around. He carefully touches our broken and insecure places and shows us that we can trust him. We are safe in his arms.