Posts Tagged ‘Father’

GOD’S THOUGHTS

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Day 261

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me,
O God! How great is the sum of them!”
Psalm 139:17

You are continually in the thoughts of our heavenly Father. There is not one moment He does not consider you; so much so that those thoughts are many. That God should think about us is our treasure. He knew us before the foundations of the earth, knows us now and unto eternity with Him.

Proverbs gives us another glimpse of our Father when it reveals He is “delighting in mankind.” He takes pleasure in His people. We are His vineyard and He is interested in everything we do. As a parent delights in His children, so our Father delights in us.

How great is the sum of Your thoughts towards us, O Lord.
“Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” (Psalm 31:19). Yes, it seems impossible that God would continually hold us before Him, but He is our Father. This is our inheritance in Christ.

“How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I cannot even count how many times
a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken
in the morning, you are still thinking of me!”
Psalm 139:17-18

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A FATHER WHO CARES

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Day 229

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness”
Romans 8:26-27

We live in an age where getting in-touch with yourself prevails. Delving into our sub-conscience to purge ourselves of disturbing (and unknown) matters is purported to be the way to go. Sadly, this only serves to strengthen the darkness. More unfortunate is the fact that some Christians believe in this or variations of these methods. Rather than turning in on ourselves, where flesh will only find flesh, our Father has made provision for us.

We have a Father who cares about us. He cares about our inner struggles, struggles that we often do not understand. These may be matters concerning our own actions or events in the past, a close member of our family or friend, or our work, and we cannot express ourselves about it in prayer. There can be confusion or feelings of helplessness. Often we do not know how to pray about these situations. What we do need is to know that our Father has made provision.

The Holy Spirit has been given to us and resides in us. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He helps us in our weakness by praying for us. He will express what we cannot. He does this according to the will of God. When God searches our heart, the Holy Spirit speaks to Him. What a wonderful provision our Father has made. He knows our infirmities, our weaknesses, and our needs. We have a Divine Helper.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield: my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to Him in song”
Psalm 28:7

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HE KNOWS YOUR NAME

Friday, October 1st, 2010

Day 209

“I have called you by your name; you are Mine”
Isaiah 43:1

When considering that God is the Creator of all things and that the expansive universe is His, it is hard to believe and understand that He knows you personally. We have nothing in our experience to understand how this is possible. Should the leader of our nation decide to visit you to discover how common people live, someone would check you out and give him your name. He’ll remember it for the brief visit and that’ll be it.

Our Father does know you by your name. He knows you personally and He doesn’t forget who you are. No, it is stronger than that—He knows you intimately because you were known by Him before you were ever formed in your mother’s womb. There is no person on the face of this earth that knows you more intimately than your heavenly Father. And because He has redeemed us, He says, “…you are Mine.” We are a “peculiar treasure” above all people.

What great freedom this gives us to build our relationship with our Father. Because He knows us so intimately, we have no need to be on guard or defensive. We are able to truthfully talk with our Father about our concerns. But, even more than that, knowing we are accepted in Him in Christ, we are able to build an intimate relationship in knowing Him as our Father. His desire is for us to know Him more and more each day.

“In love, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace,which He has freely given us in the One He loves” Ephesians 1:5-6

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THE LORD’S ARM IS NOT SHORT

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Day 188

“The arm of the Lord is not too short to save”
Isaiah 59:1

You will share in God’s glory. It is His word that we will ‘all’ be in His eternal glory [Romans 8:30]. Many of God’s people have a hopelessness and despair. You may be one. Are you lost in a prison of darkness? Have you substituted freedom for a prison because of your sins? Are you weak, have no ability to change or do anything? Do you weep and mourn? Have you sought help, but no one has come? Did you separate yourself from God?

What is God’s response to all this? Does God care? Have your sins taken you so far that it is too late? Have you continually asked for forgiveness to only do it again and again? Is God’s anger going to separate you forever? And, if He does care, is He able to save you? God does care and He is able to save you. Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant and He is able to save to the uttermost – completely [Hebrews 7:22-25]. Yes, and He has heard you and the strength of the Lord will save you from the prison of darkness and your sins.

Our Father hates sin and injustice. He hates what sin does to His children. He hates the lies that deceive us and cause us to think He will abandon us. He will arise and rescue His children. Not one will be lost. Thousands of years ago He proclaimed to His people to “Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you” [Isaiah 60:1] – and today it is the same call to you. Rise up in the glory of the Lord.

“When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with Him in glory”
Colossians 3:4

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THE PASSIONATE FATHER

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Day 186

“He parted the heavens and came down”
Psalm 18:9a

Did you know God the Father is passionate about us? His love for us is so passionate that if the enemy touches us, He will rise up and come to deliver us. This is why David said, “He is my shield and the horn (strength) of my salvation, my stronghold” [verse 2]. God is our Father and He protects us and our salvation. He is our strength.

There are times when the enemy comes we become so overwhelmed that we believe the battle is lost. Have you ever been in that place? Paul was. He even despaired of life and believed he was going to die. David also thought the same. He saw the cords of the grave around him and the snares of death. Both of these men cried out to God in their distress and He heard their voice from His temple. The Father stood up and came to rescue them.

There can not be a more powerful glimpse of the Father’s passion for His children then His parting of the heavens and coming down to rescue us! All the earth and universe shakes when His anger turns to our enemies. He thunders and His voice resounds throughout the heavens and earth. He slays our enemy. And He turns our darkness into light. Glory! What a great Father we have!

“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
He drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me
from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who
were too strong for me”
Psalm 18:16-17

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CALL ME FATHER

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

Day 176

“Now you can call God your dear Father”
Galatians 4:3

There is something very intimately personal about the name ‘father.’ It is a personal name. A child has an explicit and unreasoning trust in his father. When a child expresses his father’s name, he is expressing that deep and knowing relationship. In His deepest hour of need, Jesus called on His Father using the Aramaic term ‘abba.’ It was the term used in everyday life of the family and Jews, out of reverence, avoided using this familiar word in addressing God. Not Jesus. It was ‘Abba Father.’

It is an amazing thing that we now can call Him our dear Father! If there is anything that stands out of the whole word of God outside of Christ’s sacrifice, it is this deep, intimate and personal relationship that God wants with us – and it starts by calling Him ‘Father. In fact, Jesus died on a cross so that we may have a right relationship with His Father.

How extraordinary! What a privilege we have been given. And not just a privilege, but an adoption as His child. It is the fulfillment of the basic desire and need in our nature. We are loved, cared for, given grace and covered by His mercy and compassion. And with all this He has made complete provision for us for all of our life. Yes, “abba, Father.”

“I have love you deeply”
Malachi 1:2

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HE IS OUR FATHER

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Day 152

“Father of the fatherless”
Psalm 68:5

There are two issues that closely touch the heart of the Father – the fatherless and widows. These are mentioned often in the scriptures. And in one instance when the Father spoke of His relationship to us, He used the picture of a baby at a mother’s breast. He said even if a mother forgets, He will not forget you. And He emphasized this in stronger terms by saying “I have engraved you on the palms of My hands” [Isaiah 49:15-16].

‘Fatherless’ are those that have or had no father at home while growing up. Reasons range from death, divorce, being born out of wedlock, or abandonment. And it seems this is increasing more and more in our times. But, there are other ways of being fatherless. There are fathers physically in the home who neither have interest nor invest in their children. There are fathers who abuse and even molest their children. Great is the cry of these children. One teenager said he wanted a father “with skin on him.” His loneliness and emptiness cried out.

That cry is heard on the Throne. God in His holy habitation turns to hear those who are fatherless, for He is the helper of the fatherless [Psalm 10:14]. When they cry for help, He hears and delivers them out of their troubles. He is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit [Psalm 34:15-22]. This is our God, Father of fathers, who sets us in His house.

“God sets the lonely in families”
Psalm 68:6

“But as for me, the nearness of God is my good”
Psalm 73:28

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MY FATHER

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

Day 140

“For Thine is the kingdom”
Matthew 6:13

When you are a small child, your dad is everything. He earns the income, takes care of the problems in the house, protects you, and helps guide your life. He oversees you and there is a certain security in that. It isn’t until much later in life that you begin to realize, although dad ruled in the house, he didn’t have the power to do everything.

It’s true in earthly countries also. A president or king may rule over a nation, but they do not have the power to do with their country what they wish. And they do not have the power to change external circumstances that can deeply affect a country. That’s true for the United States and all other countries. Leaders have a kingdom, but not the power. And it’s true for us as individuals. We can rule over our life and body, but the older you get you realize you do not have the power to do as you wish. If you believe otherwise, show how you have power over fatal diseases, accidents and death.

But not so with our Father and King of Kings. His is the kingdom and the power. He rules over all things and holds absolute power. And what is impossible for men is possible with God. There is no limit to the kingdom of God. Psalm 103:19 says, “His sovereignty rules over all.” He never sleeps or slumbers [Psalm 121:3-4]. This is our Father who is in heaven.

“For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever. Amen,”
Matthew 6:13

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