Our Heavenly Father
“ Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand.”
Isaiah 64:8 (NIV)
The Bible ascribes a very personal and intimate descriptor to God: Father. We see several prophets in the Old Testament give God the title of father, New Testament writers also attribute God as a father, and we also see Jesus describe God as a father through teachings and parables. The authors of the scriptures want us to know how to relate to God as a father. It can be a dangerous thing to place human qualities onto an infinite God, but let’s look at how God is our Father and what that means for us, His children.
First, it may be difficult to relate to God as a Father. Many of us have had amazing examples of a dad who points us back to God. Even with a dad like that, he would still be human and prone to sin. This would distort the image of the perfect Father he is representing. What’s worse are the many people whose fathers have abandoned them, abused them, or neglected them. They aren’t just subtly blurring the image of who God is but actively destroying it. How difficult it must be for anyone in that situation to understand that God is their Heavenly Father who truly loves and will care for them.
Jesus depicts a Heavenly Father that chases after all of us. He tells a story about a prodigal son who rejected his dad and ran away. Realizing his mistake, he comes back. Look at how Jesus describes our Heavenly Father, “…But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 (NIV). This is our heavenly Father! Not a distant God, waiting for us to make a mistake and grovel for forgiveness. Neither a far-off God who is disinterested and only concerned on a cosmic scale. We have a God who runs after His children. Never to abandon, abuse, or neglect. His heart is to cherish them. We see in John 3:16 that God LOVES the world so much that He would sacrifice his own Son to see that His other children are restored. We have a Heavenly Father who gives us good gifts, according to James 1:17. This is the type of Father we should emulate and are lucky to have.
Now, most importantly, we were created in the image of God. This means we need to reflect that holy image to everyone we meet. We must demonstrate our Heavenly Father’s love and grace through our actions and words. For those that are fathers, we celebrate you this weekend and the enormous task of leading your children in a loving and graceful way. The only way it is possible to lead your kids in the way of God is to make sure your heart, mind, and body are completely dedicated to it yourself. Our prayers are for you this weekend.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.