The Faithful, Perfect Father
Scripture Reading — Psalm 27:7-12
Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
Unfortunately, not everyone has had a positive experience with their father. Deadbeat dads walk out on their families, offering only neglect instead of care. Some children have never met their fathers. Or, worse, some wish they had never met them. Sadly, our world is plagued with poor examples of fathers, men who abandon, neglect, or abuse their families. Your own bad experience may make it difficult to accept God as your heavenly Father.
But God’s faithfulness far exceeds that of even the best parents. Even if our father and mother forsake us, the Lord will not. Our Father God is the perfect Father. He fills a painful vacuum of love for all whose earthly fathers have forsaken them.
God’s intention in calling himself Father is to reveal his heart’s desire to have a real relationship with you, his child. He loves you in a way that no human has ever loved you, with ferocity and faithfulness that no human love can match.
If your own father has failed you, then you need, more than most, the faithful Father in your life. Do not reject the vivid image of God as your Father because your own father failed to live up to his calling. No one should be abandoned, neglected, or abused. We all need the unconditional love and affirmation of the perfect Father.
Father, thank you for calling us your own children and welcoming us into your life. Replace the pain of our bro-ken relationships with the joy of your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Rob Jansons
Rob Jansons is the pastor of New Hope Fellowship in Monroe, Washington, where he has served for almost twenty years. He and his wife, Sue, have been married since 1989 and have three daughters. Rob spends time each year in Calcutta, India, working with a Christian ministry to children living in slums. He enjoys hiking in the Pacific Northwest, camping with his family, reading, writing, and being a pastor.
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