Devotions this week based on the Message: “God’s Part…Our Part?”
Happy Fathers’ Day…a day late…but still worth recognizing!
For most it’s a day to celebrate the blessing of being a dad or recognizing the dad that has been part of your life. Even if your dad is gone, or you wish your experience and relationship with your dad was better, it is still an opportunity to thank God for the joys and challenges received in life connected to dad.
Dad’s, it’s a blessed and challenging day – at least I see it as both.
I am blessed to be the dad of two amazing young ladies. One is 17 and the other is 13. God has given them amazing minds, physical health, and faith in Jesus as Savior. I can’t think of anything more significant in my life than being a godly dad to these two girls.
But I’m not perfect. Ask my wife and my girls.
None of us dads is perfect. We do our best. If we are wise, we rely on God…A LOT!
No matter what our status is with our earthly dad, Father’s Day weekend is a good opportunity to be reminded of the tremendous blessing we have to be a child of our Heavenly Father.
In our Christian life of faith there are two places we often reference God as our Father:
- As we begin the Lord’s Prayer, and
- As we begin the Apostles’ Creed.
To expand on what we are praying and what we are confessing, Martin Luther in the 1500s wrote an “explanation” to each. I share them here and invite you as you read them to note the very special privilege we have to call God our Father and have him treat us as his dear children.
- Our Father who art in heaven.
What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.
- I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, spouse and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
These aren’t just statements to fill space, but statements worth reviewing, memorizing and remembering regularly.
We never want to forget the blessing we have to be able to call the God of the Universe, “Father.” We never want to forget the blessing that the God of the Universe call us “children”!
Apply: Reread the explanation to the address to the Lord’s Prayer and the first article of the Apostles’ creed. What stands out to you that helps you appreciate your relationship to your heavenly Father? Your earthly Father?
Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, thank you for being my Father and calling me your child. AMEN.