Jun

16

A father’s love

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Being a father is more than just having children. The job requires time, patience, discipline, and sacrifice. Above all, love.

It’s a tremendous task to rear a child in the way to go. It can be daunting, especially when a man does it in his own strength. Though a father tries, he may fail at times.

There is no official instruction guide for fatherhood, though the instruction book for life—the Bible—has everything one needs to accomplish the job. And what better example to follow than that of our heavenly Father who, by His grace, has given us more than we deserve. That is, not to spoil us, but to show us the riches of His glory.

 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him ~ Proverbs 23:24

As a father, men–young and old–have been given a special task and privilege. With the Lord as the role model and His word as the guide, they have all that’s needed to achieve the responsibility of being a great father. Today, we celebrate our dear fathers whether grand, surrogate, adoptive, or biological, you are special and appreciated.

Jun

10

In Him do we trust

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It’s comforting to know that in times of fear or uncertainty, our Lord is nearer than we think. As we abide in Christ, there is nothing to fear because we are held in the palm of his hand. We are as close as marrow is to bone.

 

The incredible depth of God’s love for humanity began in the Garden of Eden when after the first killing of an animal, God used its skin to clothe Adam and Eve.  Even outside the Garden where they’d been cast due to disobedience, and while the fellowship had been broken, his love for them remained. It continued so much that he eventually sent his son to redeem all of mankind from sin. 

 

Unlike worldly love that ebbs and flows at its own discretion and is often conditional, God’s agape love is an unlimited source that wells up from his true nature. There are no conditions attached to it.

 

“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you” ~ Psalm 9:10

 

Today, Christ sits at the right hand of God after making the ultimate sacrifice. Those who’ve put their trust in Him should no longer have any fears, worries, or doubts about the Lord’s love or his plans and provisions for their lives. Whether there’s famine, peril, nakedness, or sword, there’s nothing—at all—imaginable that can come between the Lord and His redeemed. 

Jun

03

In His footsteps

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The God who preserved Jerusalem is the same God who guides, encourages, protects, and keeps us secure by and through His grace. Whatever befalls us…whether issues, circumstances, troubles, persecutions, impending doom, or even death, our Lord is there to guide us every step of the way. Surely, he’s our best help in all of life’s situations as we walk securely in his footsteps.

A believer should be forever grateful to be part of the Lord’s flock because our great shepherd is there to guide us. Who better? You can find no better ally to have your back than our beloved Jehovah. Though we may need prodding like sheep, to be part of the Lord’s fold is the most humbling—yet gratifying—place to be.

Without a shepherd’s guidance, a flock of sheep can easily roam right out of the pasture and end up falling off a cliff. Same with people. Though for the saved, we have a personal 24-hour shepherd who holds us in the palm of his hand and who offers a better way than a cliff dive.

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father ~ John 10:14-15.

May

27

A secure hope

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In the Old Testament, we read about the prophet Jeremiah, who spoke to the Jews living under the controlling authority of foreign empires. One can imagine how difficult it would be to live under that kind of strident domination and control.

Jeremiah told the people they would be exiled to Babylon for at least 70 years, and they should settle down, build houses, marry, and even pray for the peace and prosperity of the city in which they now found themselves (Jeremiah 29:4-10).

His prophetic words were spoken to people in the midst of hardship and suffering, but God’s response then, and even now, is that he does not always provide immediate escape from difficult situations. Rather, God promises that He has a plan to prosper his people, sometimes in the midst of their current situations. We refer to Romans 8:28 that tells us, “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” This should reassure us to look beyond our circumstances and focus on God in the storms of life.

Christians facing difficult situations today can take comfort in the words of Jeremiah, knowing that God is still on the throne and hasn’t forgotten us. He has a plan for our lives as we walk in faith while trusting in Him. Regardless of our current state, especially in this current culture, we can be assured that He can work through it all to prosper us and give us hope, joy, and a blessed future.

May

21

His incomparible glory

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There is no God like Jehovah and no other name so glorious. He is faithful and true to his word. He says what he means and means what he says. He is steadfast, immovable, and consistent.

Who of us is consistent? Is there anyone or anything? Life changes on a dime and today’s good thing is tomorrow’s bad. We say one thing today, and a week—even hours—later say the opposite. We forget. We’re human.

Inconsistency is so like the human nature of man. So, it’s tough to get our finite minds wrapped around the glory and infinite being we call God, who never changes.

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? ~ Numbers 23:19

The infinite nature of Jesus and his incarnation and becoming our Emmanuel is utterly unfathomable. He’s been around from before time began, and he is as steadfast today as he was then.

To think the creator of the universe does not change at whims or predilections like man does, should give us all the more reason to depend on him—the one who is faithful and true—and hold his Holy Word above all else.