One

John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

Wow.  I can’t say that…yet. There are times when I pray to the Father and I feel as though I hear nothing. There are times when I try to trust him, but I fail and do things my own way. And there are times when I shut him out of a particular area of my life.

But that oneness, the relationship where his thoughts are my thoughts, his ways are my ways, his plans are my plans…it’s possible…as I continue to trust in Him.

It’s coming – that oneness.  For all who believe.

Currently, we are headed toward an election day. And Christians everywhere are praying about their choice for president. Some will “hear” to vote for one candidate and some another.  Because we aren’t all one – yet. 

Or maybe…just maybe…we’re supposed to trust that even in our divided nation, even in our state of praying and hearing different answers, we are to still trust in HIM – no matter who wins.

That oneness and completeness is coming.  We just have to be still, wait, and obey, the best we know how…until that day.

Father

John 10:15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

I love the relationship Jesus exhibits for us, the one between the Father and his son.

It doesn’t matter if we have the sorriest father on earth, one who is absent or disinterested or abusive, when it comes to having a relationship with HIM.

The Father knows us, and we can know the Father.

Jesus trusted his Father so much that he was willing to come here and do his Father’s will – die for the “sheep” (that’s us).  He knew his Father could be trusted.

There’s a relationship awaiting us all between ourselves and our Father.  He loves us like no other father can. And his plans and purposes are perfect and pure.

Trust him.

No matter what.

Rest.

The Will

John 6:40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.

Have you ever wondered what God’s will is for your life?  You pray about it, you search for it through a job, you seek for it through a spouse, etc.  And yet, his will is simple.

He desires that we behold his Son for who He is – the Savior.

That’s his will.  And it comes with a promise of eternal life.

Everything else is secondary. 

So take a rest in your mind today and relax.  Your job, the house you’re looking for, that perfect spouse you’re praying for…it’s all okay and will fall into place….when you behold the Son.

That’s his will.  Period. 

Once you do that, you’ll settle into life and quit looking for that perfect something to guide you.

Certainly Not

Oct 27

John 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.

This verse is who God is.

He doesn’t cast out or cast away those who come to Him.  Ever.

There never has to be fear when we come to our Father.

He will never turn us away or refuse to listen.

His hands are always open to hold and to heal.

He is a good, good father – it’s who He is.

Read His word and believe it. Turn away from all other voices and lies.  Choose to say that you will trust in your Father, even though everyone and everything else has failed you.

The Father loves you.

Come as you are.

The Manna

John 6:31

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’”

This big group of people wandered in the wilderness with no food or water, except that which God provided daily – straight from heaven!  That’s a pretty huge miracle, one that  needs to be told to the next generation.

When we tell our kids of God’s faithfulness, they then tell it to their kids. Those things we experience – like manna from heaven – need to be chronicled.  They need to be shared.

Why?

Because your kids will one day be walking in their own wilderness, wondering where their  next paycheck is coming from, or food for the table.

And they’ll remember that story.

The one where you hate manna from heaven.

That’s good stuff right there…

The Food

John 6:27 more wisdom:

Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.

Most of us work ourselves to death for houses, land, cars, trips, clothes, entertainment and security for our future.  And all of those things – though necessary – perish.  They lose their value over time and they disappear with a burst of a wind, or a roll of a wave.

The only things that last in this life are the things our Father tells us to do – like loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Yes, we have to work hard to make a living.

But also yes, we must never cease at living while we work.

It’s hard to balance our lives when life is indeed full of surprises and turns, and heartaches and disappointments.

However, when we ask him, our Father will enable us to work for Him first…and experience everything else falling into place as it should.

In Like Manner

John 5:19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

Today is my birthday.  Another year older. Another year wiser…I hope.

Jesus was a wise son.  He realized that he could do nothing apart from his Father, unless he did what his Father was doing and did those things in like manner.

The same is true with us.  With me.

I can do nothing good on earth, unless I mimic what I see the Father doing and do it in like manner.

I cannot love others, unless I love like He does.

I cannot give cheerfully, unless I give like He does.

I cannot be joyful, unless I experience joy like He does.

The best thing I can do for myself today, and you can do as well, is to read about the character of the Father – his love and mercy and grace and holiness – and mimic that in everything we do.

That is wisdom.

How to Give

Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

Right before this verse, Jesus asked his listeners if they asked their father for fish (food to eat) would their father give them a stone?  That would be absurd, right?  And yet we are far from being perfect parents, here on earth.

Therefore, it makes perfect sense to realize and settle our hearts into knowing that our Father, who only gives good gifts to his children, will give us just what we need – his Holy Spirit – if we only ask.

And His spirit will comfort, guide, and provide all that we need – never a stone – but always something delicious and satisfying.

Just ask…

When You Pray

Luke 11:2 And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.”

This is the first part of the Lord’s Prayer, the one Jesus told us to pray.  Why this phrase?

Just acknowledging him as our Father sets our heart in a position of honor, to listen, and to follow. 

Stating that his name is sacred, and we want his kingdom to come, moves us out of the position of self into a position of holiness in his presence, again acknowledging that He is Lord.

This is super important when we go to pray.  It’s the first thing we must do, so that we are at peace and rest, knowing that our Father hears us, He is holy and worthy to be praised, and His kingdom is all that  matters.

Sometimes…we could just pray this one petition and be done…at peace…at rest.

Merciful

Luke 6:36

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Mercy.  It’s that thing we’re given from our father, even when we don’t deserve it.  He forgives us over and over again for the same thing.  He doesn’t slap us around for messing up…again.  He doesn’t condemn us or shame us so that we feel like tucking our tail and hiding.  He opens his arm and holds us and loves us, and restores us back to his favor.

It’s hard to be merciful to the merciless.  It’s hard to show kindness to the rude.  It’s difficult to be forgiving to the abuser.  And it’s downright impossible to be gracious to the takers.

However, we are told to be merciful, as He is merciful.

The only way we can do this is by submitting at his feet and offering our hurt heart to Him and asking him to grant us mercy to be merciful.

He then does this miraculous thing and softens our heart and makes us release those abusers, takers, and haters into His hands to deal with them.

When we trust Him to take care of that which hurts us, we are then able to release and show mercy, knowing that justice will be served…in due time…and restoration will occur if that person responds.

Be merciful.

As he is merciful.

Forgive

Mark 11:25

Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

This is a daunting command issued to us by Jesus.

When we pray, if we’re offended or hurt at anyone, we must forgive them.

How can we do this?  We can place them – and ourselves – at the foot of the same cross – the one where Jesus died for us both.  That puts us on level ground.

We may not feel any different after choosing to forgive, but God sees our heart.

If we want forgiveness, which we all need, then we must be willing to forgive.

That’s how it works.

In Secret

Matthew 6:4 … so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

Auctions are full of people raising their hands to be seen and heard as the highest bidder.

Fundraisers post the names of those who give and the amounts, so they can be praised.

Even churches sometimes exalt the giver…instead of the Giver.

I once heard that the highest form of giving is giving to someone in secret, without them knowing who you are.  I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that true giving doesn’t seek to be seen.

God is a rewarder of those who give and those who serve and those who love.  And we don’t have to be concerned if we are not seen, noticed, or applauded for what we give.

Just give.

In secret.

Your Father sees.

He will reward you.

In Such a Way

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

“This little light of mine…”

You know the rest of that kid’s song, right?  “I’m gonna let it shine…”

The only reason for letting the light of God shine in our lives is not for our glory or praise, but to point those who see the light – to the Father.

When you give, do it secretly, not to be praised.

When you pray, do it humbly, not to be heard.

When you believe, do it wholeheartedly, not for show.

When you love, do it in obedience, not out of fear.

The only way for our light to truly shine effectively is to be a reflection of the Father’s love, by hanging out with him, talking with him, and obeying whatever he says to do…and laying back and resting in his arms.

That will glorify Him and draw others to Him, as well.

Forever

Ezekiel 37:25 They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever.

When God makes promises, he delivers. 

When God gives, he settles.

When God blesses, it continues.

When God says forever, he means it.

God blesses those who love and serve Him with all of their hearts. And their children reap the benefits of that blessing, and their children’s children and so on. 

You want a great return on your investment?  Love God.  Teach your children to love God, by example.  Do it with all your heart. 

Enjoy the fruit of his faithfulness.

Solemn Warning

Jeremiah 11:7 For I solemnly warned your fathers in the day that I brought them up from the land of Egypt, even to this day, warning persistently, saying, “Listen to My voice.”

God set this group of people – the children of Israel – free from slavery.  He led them through the wilderness and provided food and drink and provision through obstacles along the way.  He told them continually to trust him, and to listen to his voice through his servant leader, Moses.

We know that this group of people repeatedly questioned, grumbled and shook their fist – even at times wishing they were back in slavery.

It’s a solemn word, our Father speaks to us, even today.

“Listen to My voice,” he says, ever so gently but ever so seriously.

If we fail to listen to his voice through his word, through those who love his word, and through his Spirit that lives within us, we might stay a little too long out in the wilderness and miss out on all the milk and honey in the promised land.

Good things come to those who listen and obey.

The Work

Isaiah 64:8

But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand.

It’s a daunting job, that of a potter.  The clay has to be worked, molded and set so that the vessel is useful and not cracked.  For a potter to set a vessel on display that has a crack, this will reflect back on his own work and lack of skill and care.

Our father is carefully molding us and shaping us and setting us to be useful in this world, for Him.  He wants us to be able to hold water and pour water, without breaking under pressure.

He is the potter.  

We are the clay.  

And we can trust his skillful, loving, faithful hands to present us flawless when His work is completed in us.

Isaiah 38:19
“It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today; A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.:

There are lots of people who become famous AFTER they die. Music artists and their songs become popular after the death of the artist.  Some authors reach fame after their death and never enjoy the benefits of those sales!  How sad is that?

The dying can only speak through what they’ve shared out loud that others have heard.  People keep listening to songs and reading books because the artist and author shared their lyrics on paper and on the airwaves.

If we want our children to hear God’s love for them, we need to speak it and write it now, while we are alive and well. 

God tells us of his faithfulness in his Word.

We as fathers and parents need to also tell of his faithfulness to our children, through our words.

It’s then that HIS name will become famous in their lives…long after we are gone, gone gone.

Isaiah 22:23 I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.

I LOVE this verse!

Have you ever gone camping, set up your tent, driven the pegs into the ground, only to have them pop loose?  We have!  If the ground is really hard and dry, it’s almost impossible to get a peg in tight!

However, this verse says God will make us like a firm peg, set in place, immovable, in our father’s house. I love that word picture.

Nothing will be able to uproot us, when God drives us into place.  Think about the driving part – though.  That requires pressure, finding the right spot, and skill from the craftsman placing the peg.  Only God can do that. Any other peg-driver will bang us up, move us from place to place, and leave us to come loose at the first strong wind. And in the end, we will be broken and useless.

I want to be in a firm place, holding tight, a "throne of glory."

Do you? 

Eternal Father

Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

I love that one of the names of God is “eternal father.” Of course, I love the other names as well, because they speak of his power and might.   But eternal father is my favorite.

Like we have mentioned before, our earthly fathers might come and go.  Some kids have many father figures in the course of their lives, as their moms marry over and over again seeking for that perfect relationship.  Kids get attached to a new father, only to have him leave once again.  And kids quickly learn that nothing lasts…at least not here.

Having an eternal father is huge, isn’t it?

It’s hard to even grasp that our Father forever was, forever is, and forever will be.   We sing those words, but do we really know how deep the Father’s love is for us?

It’s taken me a lifetime and I’m still learning, of the goodness of my Father toward me.

Try closing your eyes and crawling up in Father God’s lap and hanging out there a while.  It’s a good place to rest.

Taken Up

Psalm 27:10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up.

There is never a reason to despair even if the most deplorable thing has happened to you – losing your father and your mother.  For whatever reason, we sometimes lose a parent to suicide, divorce, mental illness or all sorts of other woes.  And it’s painful.  It’s downright heartbreaking.

God says many times in his Word that we are never alone, and that he will swoop in and be our protector, our provider, our father, our Lord, our Savior, our everything.

Being forsaken by someone is one of the worst hurts we can experience.  The sting of betrayal cuts deep.

No matter the horrible circumstance we find ourselves in, the Lord can do a miracle of saving grace and make us feel loved again, assure of safety, and set us in his arms of love.

It’s really true.

He’s that amazing.

Father and Judge

Psalm 68:5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.

Another reminder of who God is…when people are not…

He’s a father to those with no father. 

I know a young man who was raised without his father, and when he turned 13 he cried and prayed asking who would teach him to shave.  A simple thing to most of us, but it was huge to him.  He said that God told him he would teach him, and he did.  Isn’t that so cool?

He’s a judge for the widow.

I know many widows – in fact – many who have become widowed in the past few years.  And I’m sure at times they feel defenseless, without representation, in a hard world.  However, God is holy and he can’t be anything but holy, so he comes and judges for those who need representation and all things righted.

Call out to him in your forsaken state and believe.

God is a Father like none other.  He will never leave.  He will always love.

So the Lord

Psalm 103:13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

We parents have compassion on our children when we see them fall down, scrape their knees, or lose a game, or fail miserably on a test they’ve studied for all night. It hurts our heart to see them hurting, and so we hold them, we console them, and we assure them of our love.

God does this too, and so much more.

We grow weary of disobedient children and sometimes lash out in anger.  We often don’t want to deal with unruly kids because we’re tired or they’re annoying.  And sometimes, we just don’t know what to do, even though we feel sorry for them, because we can’t heal their hurting heart.

However, God can. 

However, God does.

However, God will.

Need compassion?  Go to him.  His mercies are new every morning.

His Delight

Proverbs 3:12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

When we are correcting our children, they certainly do not feel as though they are a delight to us!  They feel anything but.  They don’t want to be corrected, because correction hurts, stings, and cramps their style.  However, we know that if we love them we will correct them and send them back on the right path.

My daughter’s little boy is 18 months old and recently picked up a glass candle from my table, looked at me, and started walking away.  I had to take it from him because I knew it might break and cut him.  Of course, he didn’t understand, but I loved him too much to see him get hurt!

God is the perfect Father, so if he removes a shiny object from our grip, it’s for our own good, whether or not we understand.

God loves you. He’s going to discipline you.  You won’t like it. But you are his delight.

Chew on those four phrases for a while… 

Dealt With

II Chronicles 1:8 You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place.

Have you ever heard a father say to a child, “I’ll deal with you later…?” It’s obvious that child is going to get a strong hand of discipline for something he’s done that was not pleasing to his father.

God also deals with us in discipline, but he’s a loving father and only disciplines in love – never in anger or condemnation.  His purpose is always to restore.

Solomon was praying for wisdom and he recalled how God “dealt” with his father with great lovingkindness.

Will your kids remember the lovingkindness of the Lord to you and draw strength from it?

They won’t, if you don’t tell them about His great love.

The love of the Father is great, and even greater when we tell it to others…especially those in our house.

Forsaking and Provoking

Judges 2:12 and they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the Lord to anger.

We’ve read several verses about the promises and goodness of God passed down to children, from fathers who love the Lord and serve Him.

However, here’s a verse about fathers who followed “other gods” and provoked the Lord to anger.

It’s not a small thing when we choose to shake our fist in God’s face and turn away to other things that we put before him, like self, adultery, lying, cheating, etc. – anything we turn to other than him for our sustenance and life.

He is to be God of our lives, at the top, or not at all.

There are serious consequences to turning away from God to other gods, not only on ourselves, but on our children as well.

Rest

Joshua 21:44 And the Lord gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hand.

Here we see the fulfillment of a promise made to fathers…to their children.  When we, as fathers and mothers, receive God’s word to us and for our families with faith, our children reap the benefits.

No enemies stood before them.  In fact, all enemies fell at their hand.

Do you want to offer your kids an inheritance, more than a 401K, stocks, lands, and houses? 

Give them the hope and promise of a Father who loves them and provides for all of their needs. Tell them of his faithfulness, show them his love, and teach them his ways.

And you and they will experience rest…on every side.

Honor

Deut 5:16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

This is one of the Ten Commandments that includes a promise.  I think it’s because God is serious about honor.  We are to honor our father and our mother.

There are so many reasons NOT to honor our parents, for some of us. Maybe we had an absent father or a mother who neglected or abused us.  Neither of those parents is deserving of honor or respect, but we are told to give it.

We can honor our earthly father by praying for him, loving him when he’s unlovable, and giving time to him in conversation as best we can.  The only way we can do that is by loving and then letting God do his work in them.

Do you have an awesome father?  Honor him.  Was your father horrible?  Honor him…in your heart…and let God deal with his shortcomings.

If you make this choice, it will “go well with you” and yours…

No Fail

Deut 4:31 For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

So, maybe you don’t have a father or grandfather or father-in-law or any father at all who walked with God, and you feel as though you have no blessings being “passed down” or “inheritance” of hope or good.

We all are descendants of Abraham.  And God never forgets a covenant or promise.

He is full of compassion and he will never fail us, when we remember to remember.

If you have no one in your family to recall God’s faithfulness to you, sit down and read the story of Abraham and Moses.  Then grab hold of the promises he gave to them as your own.

God’s promises are faithful and true, even if generations turn away and do not follow him, and he sees the one who finally does…

He loves you, and He’s your faithful father.