Today’s devotion is based on “Gifts from Our Father!” (WATCH HERE)
First a short apology for leaving my devotion readers an empty mailbox this past Friday and yesterday. My family enjoyed celebrating my wife’s birthday at the beach in Galveston, TX and I just didn’t get a devotion ready to post before we left. So let me finish the last part of last week’s series on Gifts from your Father, because there is one more key gift that God, our Father, gives to us as he did to his Son and a gift that we as dads can give to our children.
The Father said of his Son at his baptism, “This is my son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased.”
This string of three gifts had to ring powerfully in the ears of Jesus, the Son of God. As he began his public ministry and the great challenges he would face, his Father in heaven desired him to know that he had his approval. This journey of Jesus would culminate in the cross for which his Father had sent him. He was pleased to send his Son to do for the world what the world could not do on its own.
These words were for the people within earshot of the words of the Father. What a statement of authenticity it was that God himself was putting his word of approval on Jesus, the one a few knew as the Son of God, but many more were just learning. The approval of the Father was a huge gift to Jesus emotionally and in his standing in the community around him to which he would minister.
Certainly, the relationship of Jesus to his Father was a unique and special one. However, while this relationship was unique, it also reflects the feeling of our heavenly Father toward us who have been connected to him by faith in Jesus.
In speaking to his disciples, Jesus indicated the Father’s pleasure to entrust the kingdom work to them:
Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
As we live out the faith God has given to us, our Father is pleased:
Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
To have the approval of our heavenly Father is a wonderful gift. As earthly fathers, we get to reflect this truth to our children as well.
First, let them know often they are a loved, forgiven, child of their heavenly Father. They are the object of his love and the apple of his eye. In Jesus, they are secure in the grace and love of God.
Second, let them know often that you, as their dad, are proud of them, love them, and that they are the apple of your eye. Our tender hearts as youth have a desire for approval. As a dad, I don’t want my daughters trying to gain approval from individuals that will not love, support and affirm them. I want to provide that security for them. Our children are not perfect, neither are we. If God, in his love is willing to put his stamp of approval on us, I as a reflection of my heavenly Father can put my stamp of approval on my children. Sure they need encouragement, guidance, discipline and direction, but they also need the security of your love, acceptance and approval to know that it is safe to try and fail, succeed and do well. They will know that when they sin you will forgive them and their identity is wrapped up in God’s love for them and your love for them, not their performance and achievement. The irony in research is when the love, approval and acceptance of a father is real in a child’s life, their self-confidence, performance and success in life is real as well.
It makes sense because God designed and gave the gift of approval to us so we could pass it on to our children.
Apply: What can you do today to let your children know they have your love and approval, just as God has given both to you and to them?
Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for your wonderful give of approval you have given to me because of the tremendous sacrifice of love your Son gave to secure my relationship with you. Help me as an earthly father to be just as giving of love and approval to my children as you were in giving it to me. AMEN.