Fathers Day

A father was hiking a mountain with his 3 year old son on his shoulders. After some time the dad said he was tired and asked the son to get down, to which the boy replied, “You can’t be tired. You’re my daddy!” We all have stories to tell about our fathers, or about being fathers. Mark Twain said, "When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in 7 years."

Our famiies are facing a great crisis today. More and more fathers are disappearing from the scenes. It is now common to meet young people in our big city schools, foster homes and juvenile centers who do not know their dads. Most of those children have come face-to-face with their father at some point; but most have little regular contact with the man, or have any faith that he loves or cares about them. Statistics show 1 in 4 children live without a father figure in the household in the United States.

Paul says in Ephesians 3:14, “For this reason, I thank God the Father of Jesus Christ”. He says the reason in the verses before. “Through faith in the Son, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Through Jesus Christ, We are the children of the same one Father God, who is the father of the Lord Jesus Christ. That makes us all brothers and sisters along with Jesus Christ as one family. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus taught his disciples to call God Father: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” When we have one father, that makes us all brothers and sisters. Jesus said, “you have one Father Who is in heaven" (Matthew 23:9).

Pauul continues in Ephesians 3:15, "From whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name." We all have derived a name from our families, particularly from the fathers. Christians derive their name fron the heavenly Father. Jesus taught a parable of a loving father in Luke 15:11-12 “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father who wanted to have the best for the children agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. The younger son took all the wealth and moved to a far away land. The life of the father changed ever since. I wonder how many days he had waited and watched for his son’s return! That was a time without Skype or face time, no email or telephones. So he probably didn’t know for sure where his son was or what he was doing or if he was dead or alive. Praying and hoping in God, he started preparing for the day of his son's return. He had his robe waiting, he had his ring waiting and a new pair of sandals waiting. That shows the prevenient grace of our Heavenly Father, a grace that follows us even when we are not aware of it.

Our heavenly father waits for us to return when we wander away. He will not leave us at the condition we are in, rather He prepares for the return so that there will be celebration. Jesus is preparing a place for us in heaven. Even when you feel there is no hope, remember God sent His only son to die for you. He would not have made the ultimate sacrifice of giving His Son to die on the cross if He had not valued you and me so much. Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Blessings