FATHER ME

Years ago, I was attending a worship conference and heard Brian Doerksen share his testimony about being a father to one of his sons who has a rare condition where he cannot speak. He recalled crying out to God to give him insight as to what his son might be feeling, out of his desire to connect with his son. Out of that season he wrote the song, “Father, I Want You To Hold Me.”

Now Covid-19 may not seem to relate to that story, but when it impacted me with the loss of my work, the loss of finances, the loss of freedom to step outside? All my heart could cry out was Father, I want You to hold me!

Often when a crisis hits, we are acutely aware of our need for Jesus and the freedom He brings, and Holy Spirit with the wisdom He gives, but we often initially forget we have a Father who is not only intimately aware of us, but longing to walk with us through any trial we may be facing.

This Father’s day, may we take comfort from these 10 truths about how our Father loves us, and ask Him to make them daily come alive to us as we draw close to Him. Just as we all know good fathers who care for their children, so much more so does God long to father us, to carry us when we feel we cannot go one more step from weariness or grief. He is waiting patiently and intently, just as the father waited for his son to return home, to restore us to our true inheritance as His children!

10 Truths About How God the Father Loves Us

1. “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Samuel 7:8, 7:14; 2 Corinthians 6:18)
2. ”…and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” (Deuteronomy 1:31)
3. “I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not given me into the hands of the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.” (Psalm 32:7-8)
4. “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:5)
5. “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103:13)
6. “I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.” (Proverbs 4:11-12)
7. “So {the prodigal} got up and went to his 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)
8. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
9. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)
10. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 a)

May He meet you right where you are at, friend, and may you deeply know you are loved by your Father.