GOD THE FATHER: The Lover of His Family

“O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:25-26)

Human fathers are not perfect fathers. Some are horrible—they may abandon their children; they may be mean and abusive.  Don’t let that color your view of God the Father, if that was your misfortune.  He is nothing like such wicked men.

A good father is one that loves us—it is heard in his words and seen in his works.  In this, the Heavenly Father is the ultimate.  He’s a good, good Father—the best. God our Father is perfect love.

Jesus speaks in this text of the intimate love relationship He had with His Father and that every believer is invited to experience.

There are two evidences of love I think of when I think of God the Father.

God loves us as OUR PROVIDER.

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matt.6:26)

If God feeds the fowls of the air, will He not feed His children?  If He clothes the flowers of the field, will He not clothe His children?  We need not worry.  Earthly fathers provide for their family—yet, they may be limited in what they can do.  Not so with God!

God loves us as OUR PROTECTOR.

“And he said: ‘The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.’” (2 Sam.22:2-4)

David testifies to God’s protection. He had protected him when lions attacked the flock he shepherded.  God stood by him when he fought the giant Goliath.  When Saul chased him like a hound after a fox, all over the Judean wilderness, the Lord preserved David.  As King, leading his troops into battle after battle God shielded him.  God will take care of you! I know as a father I will do all I can to keep my family safe.  How much more the good and great Father in heaven who is both willing and able to do so!

A BUFFET OF BLESSINGS

I love buffets.  You come to these long lines of delicious foods of all varieties, and you can zero in on what you like, take ample samples, and stuff yourself.  The book of Proverbs is much like that from a spiritual standpoint—a buffet of blessings.  You certainly get that kind of variety in chapter eighteen.  Today, we will look at a few tasty truths to nourish our souls.  Remember, Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt.4:4). 

1.  GOD IS OUR SAVIOR.  “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (v.10). Salvation is not found in our works, but in God’s.  Calling upon His name is our salvation (see Rom.10:9, 10, 13). God’s name represents His nature.  It stands for all He is, so to call on Him is to find a refuge. Not only does He save us initially when we call on Him and He makes us righteous, but as we righteous ones live in this hostile world, He remains our Defender, as we pray to Him, and find Him mighty to save.  As Luther wrote, “A mighty fortress is our God.”

2.  WISDOM IS OUR TEACHER. “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” (v.15).  The wisdom of God is found in the Word of God, and a prudent person seeks it diligently.  Each day, we should come to the Lord to teach us from His Word.  Read your Bible.  Read great writers who have walked with God. Listen to your pastor and Bible teachers who dispense doctrine. You will be blessed if you feed at the table of truth.

3.   MARRIAGE IS OUR GIFT. “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.”  (v.22). There are a select few to whom God blesses with the gift of singleness. But, most of us will marry.  Make sure you get God’s gift for you, and don’t open someone else’s!  There are those who made an impulse “purchase,” only to unwrap it and find it came from Satan’s store and not God’s gift shop!  There is a great difference between a Ruth and a Jezebel.

4.  FRIENDSHIP IS OUR HELP.    “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (v.24). If you have a good friend, you have someone who will stick with you in the fiercest storms. Where family might not support you, you can count on a faithful friend. How do you get friends like that?  Be such a friend!  We reap what we sow.

I hope you enjoyed this meal prepared for you today!  Breakfast with the Bible—yum!  Thank you Lord for your salvation, Scripture, a sweet spouse, and supportive friends with which I am blessed!

OUR KEEPER

The LORD is your keeper….  (Psalm 121:5)

God’s children are His special treasure.  He guards His gems.  Peter says we are, “kept by the power of God…” (1 Pet.1:5).  Recently, I saw a quote from Pastor John MacArthur that underscored this, “If you could lose your salvation, you would.”  God is our Keeper and that is good news!  It is also the theme of Psalm 121.

The Psalmist points to THE SOURCE OF HELP (v.1-2).  Look to Him.  When we look around us, we see nothing but problems.  When we look within us, we see nothing but inadequacy—or foolishly arrogant self-sufficiency.  When we look above us, we find a God mighty to save!  As the author would climb the hills to Jerusalem, at last on Mt. Zion, he would reach the Temple where dwelt the glory of God.  Surely the One who called into existence the universe by the sheer power of His spoken word can help us—no matter the seeming enormity of our need!

We can know THE STABILITY OF HEAVEN (v.3a).  Stand on Him.  There are many slippery paths.  There are stones aplenty to stumble over.  A fall can be disastrous.  Yet, our steps can be steadfast, for God steadies us.  He is the Rock—our firm foundation.

We are comforted by THE SLEEPLESSNESS OF YAHWEH (v.3b-4).  Rest in Him.  Why should I stay awake at night—tossing and turning with a mind filled with anxiety?  God stays awake, watching over me, so there is no point in both of us being up!  I think of a loving parent, rising in the darkness to look into an infant’s cradle, making sure the baby is alright.  That is what our Heavenly Father does for us.  “Now, I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord, my soul to keep.

We are given THE SHELTER OF GOD (v.5-6).  Run to Him.  The sun’s light need not scorch us by day.  The moon’s beams need not keep us awake by night.  He is the shelter we can find—twenty-four hours, through all the days of our life.  The sun and moon are symbolic for one day—and thus, we have all day protection.  The right hand is mentioned, representing human need.  God fills that empty hand with His provision.

We trust in THE SECURITY OF SALVATION (v.7-8).  Trust in Him.  No evil can destroy the child of God.  That does not mean we are exempt from pain—even our body may become sick and death can come.  True harm to the real you is not a threat, however, if you know Christ. Our soul will be preserved.  No power on earth or scheme of hell can touch the real man or woman we are—our redeemed soul—that dwells in this house of clay.  Actually, the body also will be ultimately preserved, raised in a glorified state in the resurrection.  When I leave home in the morning, God travels with me.  When I arrive home in the evening, He has been with me.  At last, at the end of life’s journey, God will usher me into eternity where I will abide in His presence forevermore!

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (1 Thess.5:23)

WORTHY TO BE PRAISED!

 

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;

My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;

So shall I be saved from my enemies.  (Psalm 18:2-3)

When a life is founded upon Christ, there is stability in the storm.  When a life is fortified by Christ, there is security in the strife.  He will deliver His people from their fears and their foes.  The implication cannot be missed—that our sojourn on earth will be filled with difficulties and fraught with dangers.  Yet, we have the strength of the Lord to lean on and His salvation to look to in these perilous times.  God is our shield, salvation, and stronghold, the Psalmist testifies.  The author, David, had certainly experienced God in these ways.  The superscription of the Psalm gives the context. 

 

A Psalm of David The Servant of the LORD, Who Spoke to the LORD The Words of This Song on the Day that the LORD Delivered Him from the Hand of All His Enemies and from the Hand of Saul.

No wonder as his heart fills with these realities that he erupts in profuse praise!  How can we do otherwise?  It is madness to think we can make it on our own.  Our lack of prayer is an expression of arrogance, and our absence of praise is a testimony of ungratefulness.  May it never be!  Each morning should bring an awareness of our desperate need for God—all He is to meet all I need.  Let this day dawn with me crying out to Him, and the sun will set with me celebrating in Him!  I don’t know what you are facing today—but, I know this—God is worthy to be praised!