Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” A glimpse of God’s goodness changes us. If He is only slightly stronger than us, why pray? If He has limitations, questions, and hesitations, then you might as well pray to the Wizard of Oz.

Psalm 68:5-6 says, God is “a father to the fatherless. He sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.”

Pray with me!

Dear God. Today remind me today that you protect me. Be my father and defender. Defend those who’re weak and afraid and feel forgotten. Show up in their lives today. Thank you for giving me a spiritual family that can never be taken away. I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

At any point you’re only a prayer away from help!

By Max Lucado
From: Before Amen
Used by permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:    
https://maxlucado.com/about-max/

FURTHER READING

God Is Our Loving Father

God our Father

Alphabet Of The Father Heart of God

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“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” Malachi 4:6(ESV).

A friend of mine was preaching yesterday. His text was on John the Baptist. He made the connection between the verse in Luke 1:17 and the corresponding verse reference in Malachi given above. What struck me was something quite simple within this verse in Malachi.

I had never noticed before this aspect of Fatherhood. Something within said that there is a danger, where parents are too busy for their children, that it can have effects on the family and on the society both present and future. The sins of the parents will be visited on the children, a self-fulfilling prophecy for the people, with a curse as consequence for the land.

I talked to my wife about this thought and in reply, she mentioned an article in her magazine entitled something akin to: “How to be a mother in 60 minutes a day“. It raised the question in my heart “Why are we so keen to have families and yet not give them the priorities given in scripture?” Yes, we need money to live but at what a cost?

Jesus was keen to receive the small children, wants us to come to Him with the uncluttered and wholehearted faith of children. They are important to Him because they are just the same in spirit as those of us who are older, in a more capacious container. Why then is the bus-I-ness (ie. being too busy for too long) of work creating an acceptability of absenteeism that is in danger of consuming the society we hoped to grow and be a part of, where there is no space for more.

I think about my own parenthood. How has this been influenced by my history? How, in turn, am I influencing, have influenced, my children? How will this influence my children’s children?

Matthew 18:3 (ESV):- and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

PRAYER: LORD, I thank You that You do not treat us as our sins deserve because we come to You in the name of Jesus the Christ. Hallelujah!
LORD today, deliver us from this evil: being too busy for our loved ones. Thank You that You are never too busy for us. Grant that we may live a good example of what may be a right balance between worship, work and play in our lives.
LORD, You love the childlike simplicity of the Young. Heal those of us who have hurts and burdens that we carry with us which make us too busy to be able to care. Amen.

by Rod Marshall
Used by Permission

FATHERHOOD

A Call to Fatherhood

Godly Fathers – a Biblical perspective

Leaving a Legacy for Christ

What My Dad did Right

A Good Dad is “There” for His Children 

Ten Things to Teach your Son about True Manhood – by John Grant

The post Children and Parents appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2 (NASB)

Imagine holding an overflowing grocery bag in one hand and a squirmy toddler’s hand in the other. Then, you try to open the door for someone else. In my view, there are only a few disastrous possibilities. One: you will trip and fall. Two: you will drop the groceries. Three: you will let go of your toddler’s hand, and she runs away, making the possible outcome potentially catastrophic.

Don’t get me wrong, living a full life is a good thing. Jesus wants that for you! But there are so many branches in life that could easily grow out of control. Committees, clubs, classes, along with many more daily responsibilities fill up the day. However, if you say yes to each and every one, you don’t produce a healthy harvest. Instead, you end up giving haphazardly out of your emptiness and don’t experience the fullness of God.

How much do you trust your Father to prune your life? God wants to do this. If you take time to listen to Him, He will show you just what He wants to do so that You can produce even more amazing fruit!

Dear Father, thank You for Your wisdom and guidance in my life. Please help me to see how I can glorify You with each and every moment. If there are things that need to be pruned in my life so that other areas can thrive, I pray I would courageously take that step. If you want me to continue at this pace, I know You will provide the means. May You be glorified in all the things I accomplish. Amen.

By Christa Hardin
used by permission

FURTHER READING

The Purpose of Pruning

Pruning by Laura Rath

Pruned for Purpose

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This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” Romans 8:15 (The Message)

It was the early 1990’s. A room full of teachers sat at long wooden tables in a dimly lit, stuffy room. Magazines lay in disorderly piles on the tables along with glue, several pair of scissors, and large sheets of blank white paper. The instructions were simple: cut out pictures illustrating your view of the character of God and paste the pictures onto the paper, forming a collage.

After a few moments of silence, the teachers – accustomed, of course, to totalitarian-induced obedience – began the project and within thirty minutes, several large posters were complete.

Although the project organizers suspected what might be the general direction of the participants’ choices, they were amazed at the volatility expressed. No cute baby pictures, no frothy clouds, no pastoral scenes. Instead, the formerly blank sheets had overlapping cut outs of atomic explosions, mutilated bodies, storm-ravaged houses, bloody slaughterhouse scenes.

These were people who had not yet heard of the “tender mercy of our God“. (Luke 1:78), or “the kindnesses of the Lord” (Psalm 63:7). They didn’t know that God longed to be known as a tender, loving “Abba,” or “Papa” as Eugene Peterson translates in the word  The Message.

What pictures would you have cut out of the magazines? In Abba’ Child, Brennan Manning writes that we who are Christians have the same relationship with God as Jesus had. “He invites and calls us to share the same intimate and liberating relationship”.

How magnetic our lives could be if we only reflected to the world God’s radical and tender love.

I sometimes forget that the all-wise, all-knowing God is also my “Papa“, a God who longs for me to develop an intimate relationship. Help me, God, to express my love for you and increasingly feel your love for me.

By Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

RELATED READING

• Thanks Papa
• Alphabet of the Father Heart of God
• Never Leave or Forsake You

The post Papa appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Do whatever He tells you to” John 2:5

I was sitting on my Dad’s hospital bed laughing and talking with him the evening before his surgery. I found great satisfaction in being able to talk to him about anything. There were no uncomfortable silences, wondering what to say next. I could have felt that I should have spent more time with him, but I didn’t because I had been obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit the year before.

My Dad and I always had a satisfactory relationship. But because we had four children to raise, a house and garden to tend to, a large poultry farm and involvements with school and church, it seemed that the only time we saw each other was on holidays or birthdays. And then, I was usually in the kitchen cooking. Dad and I never had the chance to really talk – just the two of us.

Then one day, the Holy Spirit placed within my heart a desire to get to know my Dad. I called him and asked if he would like to start having lunch with me once a month. He liked the suggestion and so began our monthly visits. At first there were some uncomfortable silences–we didn’t seem to have much in common anymore. But as the months flew by, we began looking forward to our visits and had lots to talk about.

The evening when I left the hospital, I didn’t know that God would take my Dad home two days later. He never recovered from his surgery. Having lunch with him once a month was a very good memory. I was so thankful I had been obedient to God’s prompting and that I hadn’t put it off.

What about you? Have you taken the time to get to know your dad? Let me encourage you not to procrastinate. Make a call today or set up a time for coffee. You will be glad you did.

Father, help us to listen to and be quick to obey your Holy Spirit’s prompting. Amen.

Learn more about the Spirit Filled Life.

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  10 Ideas: Esteeming Dad on Father’s Day

•  A Call to Fatherhood

•  Ten Things to Teach your Son about True Manhood – by John Grant

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“My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than anyone. No one can steal them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:29

Years ago, after giving birth to our three girls, my husband and I decided we needed a son in our family. We decided to adopt a son – he was 15 months old when we were introduced to him, and we fell in love with him.  He had dark brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. He was a very cute toddler.

He has been our son for many  years and never once have we thought about not being his parents. So also, when God adopts us into His family, when we accept Jesus Christ into our lives as our Lord and Savior, He will never stop being our Father. The Bible tells us that “no one can steal us out of His hand.”

J.I. Packer in His devotional, “Knowing God Through the Year”, writes this about being adopted into God’s family.  “In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship – he establishes us as his children and heirs.  Closeness, affection, and generosity are at heart of the relationship.”

There were some difficult times during the years with him, but we always loved him and he received all the benefits of being our child. Never was our relationship a question in our minds -he was always our son. We never stopped loving and praying for him. We adopted him and he was our beloved son.

Being adopted into God’s family is a very safe relationship.  He is our “Abba” Father.   He is our Everlasting Father. He is our safe place.  Do you know that?

Thank you, Father, for adopting us into your family and that no one can snatch us out of your hands.  Because of Jesus Christ, we will always be your children, even through the days or years when we are rebellious children. It is so secure to know that you are always reaching out to us and that you always love us. Amen.

By Katherine Kehler

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RELATED ARTICLES:  Read Essential Topics of Knowing God:

• Knowing Jesus Personally
• 30 Day Guide for New Believers
• How to have a “Quiet Time”
• What should be included in prayer

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“I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering” Philippians 3:10

What is suffering? Elisabeth Elliot describes suffering as

“wanting what you don’t have and having what you don’t want.”

That definition pretty well covers all the little and big “troubles” we go through during our lifetime. It could be a broken hairdryer or a disease. We will have problems. Maybe you don’t have any today, but you probably will tomorrow. And – think about it – you could even be someone else’s problem!

Our reactions or responses to these problems are the key to our inner peace.

Recently, a very positive acquaintance told us about deep waters he had gone through. He said a dear friend and author, Philip Keller, had given him the following spiritual principles to meditate on and apply to his life. He said they had made a big difference in his perspective on problems.

Acknowledge – God is my Father – He knows what is best for me, so I must acknowledge He arranges all my affairs.

Accept all that comes to me as His arrangement. In acceptance comes peace.

Approve of what He does and how He does it. Thanking Him for sincerely releases Him to do great things for you (no more controversy).

I encourage you to make a copy of the three steps, keep them in a handy place, review, and apply them to your situation whenever you have a problem. It will change your perspective.

Suffering is not for nothing.

Father, You know we get far too independent if we don’t have problems. So I thank You for problems. Enable us to acknowledge, accept, and approve that You know what is best for us. Amen.

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

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“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6

He heard the high-pitched whine echo through the house. “Daddyyyy!” He dropped the screwdriver he held as he repaired the door hinges and dashed through each room until he found the source of the plea. His four-year-old daughter, sniffling with puffy eyes, pointed to a black spot moving slowly across the pink polka-dotted area rug in the middle of her room. A spider.

Abba was an Aramaic term of endearment, similar to “daddy.”  It depicted a loving relationship, a trust and protective bond.  I recall a sign that read, “Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a daddy.” How true. Just because our biological father was involved in our creation in our mother’s womb does not make him a daddy. Unconditional love does.

Through adoption by faith in Jesus Christ we are more than just something which was created. We are God’s children. What does that mean? Daddy will come when we call. Our security, trust and comfort are His top priority.

The privilege to call the Creator of the universe “Daddy” also means we share a divine inheritance. Our kinship is eternal. We cannot be disowned. And just as we take on the characteristics of our earthly father, so we begin to take on those of our Heavenly Father when we allow His Spirit to dwell in our hearts.

Abba, thank You for loving us and being there for us whenever we call. Thank You for opening Your arms to us, for disciplining us through Your Spirit, and for teaching us to love as You do.  Most of all, thank You for sending Your Son who passes on our kinship in You when we give our hearts, minds and souls to Him. Amen.

Thought: Picture yourself, no matter your age, crawling on Abba’s lap to receive His comfort, love and guidance. It’s okay. None of us are ever too old or self-efficient to not need that!

By Julie Cosgrove
Used by Permission

If you don’t know Jesus as your Father and Abba and would like to start that tender, wonderful relationship with him, you can start having it today.  It starts by saying a simple, heart-felt, prayer where you surrender your heart to Him and ask him in.  Here is a sample prayer:

Lord, thank You for dying so we can be set free from all of guilt and sin — no matter how big or small.  Your blood has erased all of our sin. Thank You so much! Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be. Amen

It is the first step.  Keep learning more….

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