Sunday, June 16, 2013

Comfort For Fathers

Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and that more abundantly.(John10:10)” As a father, this is comforting to me. We fathers want good for our children. There is no greater joy for a father than to know that his children have a good life. Until I was a father, my understanding of what Jesus said was not as full. God is our Father. His compassion for us, and His joy at seeing us have a more abundant life, far surpasses anything that I could possibly feel or understand. It only makes sense then that this would be one of the reasons that Jesus came, and will return.

In life we face many, many challenges. There are spiritual forces that try to keep us from this abundant life, which is what Jesus said at the beginning of John 10:10, “The thief comes not but to kill, steal, and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and that more abundantly.” So this thief, which is all of the spiritual darkness comes against us and our children. How then does this show up in our lives? The thief (spiritual darkness) uses people many times, and comes directly other times. As fathers we can know that we can call upon God to deliver us and our children.

In Psalm 59 we see a story where the enemy of the psalmist comes against him to destroy and cast down. Sound familiar? What is the response we are to have? The psalmist prays to God, just like us. He asks God to destroy the enemies, but not to kill them. He asks that God destroy their attempts to cause us harm, to take from us, and to make a public spectacle of what them and their works that all may know that God is still God. He trusts in God to do this when we ask.

That is a father’s comfort. God will cast down our enemies and make a spectacle of them in the sight of us and others, that all may know that we serve a living and true God. God has our back.

Prayer
Father, King of the universe, today above all days, I want to wish You a Happy Father’s Day. Thank You for being our Dad. Thank You for watching over us and our children and families. We pray that You destroy our enemies and the enemies of our children and families. Do not kill them. Destroy their works against us. Bring their plans to nothing. Make a public showing of them that all may know that You alone are the One, true Living God. In Jesus name. Amen.