Next to my Heavenly Father, I believe my own father was King of the Jungle, a loving and faithful follower of Christ.
As you celebrate the Godly men in your lives this month, I’d like to share three devotionals that might help you strengthen your relationship with God the Father: Men of the Bible Devotional: Insights from the Warriors, Wimps, and Wise Guys by Barbour Books; Lisa Harper’s Life; and Roar Like a Lion by Levi Lusko and Tama Fortner.
Men of the Bible offers numerous short devotionals on “a colorful group of people. Some, like Abraham, give us a powerful picture of faith. Others, like King Saul or King Ahab, offer us serious warnings against sin.”
According to the entry on Methuselah, he lived a long life but had a short obituary. Not much else is known about Methuselah except for the fact that he lived 969 years. My father, on the other hand, lived a short life but had a long obituary. I may be a little biased, but I thought my father hung the moon. Even as a child I witnessed his strong work ethic and his humanitarian efforts. A caring son, brother, husband, father, he also served his country, his church, and his community. He was a true man of faith.
Men of the Bible tells us that Abraham was also a true man of faith. Even though he was an Old Testament character, he is mentioned numerous times in the New Testament as an exemplary man of faith:
“God inspired the writers of the New Testament books to focus on Abraham simply because He wants to encourage us to live a life with the faith Abraham demonstrated over and over again.
Abraham’s faith inspired him to trust in the One he knew was faithful in keeping His promises. While Abraham wasn’t a perfect man, he shows us what a man who takes God at His word can accomplish.”
Lisa Harper references another all-time great dad in the entry “My Dad Rules” from her 100-day devotional called Life. Atticus Finch, the defender of an innocent black man in To Kill a Mockingbird, insists that “all people [deserve] to be treated with fairness and dignity regardless of their color or creed.” When his daughter Scout sees the black community standing in respect for her father’s efforts, her heart swells as she realizes the worth of his character.
Lisa Harper admits to crying every time she watches that courtroom scene in the movie.
She says, “Something deep in my heart stirs. Because I want to be found standing wide-eyed with reverence to my Father, too. And not because He merely tries to achieve vindication for those He loves, but because ultimately He always achieves it!”
Lisa Harper also shows reverence to God when she explains His role to her adopted daughter Missy. When Missy is sad that her schoolmates have a daddy and she doesn’t, her mother explains:
“Honey, you actually do have a Daddy and His name is Daddy God. He knew you before you were born and He loves you more than all the stars in the sky. . . . And even though Daddy God doesn’t drive a car, coach soccer, or make pancakes, He did create the whole, wide world and He is always with you and He will never, ever leave you or stop loving you.”
Because Missy was a young child at the time, her mother tried to explain the love of God the Father in simple terms. Perhaps we all need to be reminded of this simple fact that God will never ever leave us or stop loving us!
Drawing closer to God on a daily basis can help strengthen this love connection. In their devotion “Get Away with God” from Roar like a Lion, Levi Lusko and Tama Fortner remind us of the importance of spending time alone with Him. Even though His life was busy with teaching his disciples, healing the sick, casting our demons, and feeding large crowds, “Jesus spent all night in prayer (Luke 6:12). . . . He went off by Himself to pray (Mark 6:46). And before He was arrested, He went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray (Matthew 26:36).”
As the perfect role model, Christ shows us how important it is to “get away with God.”
When we strengthen that alone time, we find comfort and peace and a Voice we cannot otherwise hear.
My father often found peace and a time to tune in to that Voice when he took his boat out to Old Hickory Lake. He loved to fish, and I imagine he might have compared himself to one of Christ’s “fishers of men.”
Fishing was not my favorite pastime (because I didn’t want to touch the worms), but I can vividly recall my father’s boat, motor, tackle box, rod, reel, oar, and anchor—all tools of his treasured hobby. I understood the purpose of them all—especially the anchor. This tool kept us from drifting into unwanted waters.
The entry “The Anchor” explains that Christ is the support we need to keep us from drifting away from God.
“How can you be sure you’re tied to the anchor of Jesus? Love, follow, and hold tight to Him—and He won’t let you drift away.”
Lusko and Fortner’s Roar Like a Lion (illustrated by Catherine Pearson) shares ninety devotions that will help both young and old to move toward a more courageous faith. Each entry contains “Bible verses, prayers, and fascinating facts.” A “Get Ready to Roar” section also serves to help readers build up their courage as they “roar” through today’s world.
I hope you all have the opportunity to celebrate a father figure this month. If your own father is no longer in your life or you don’t have a good relationship with your father, take a moment to thank a teacher or a man in your church for his positive impact on your life. Finally, remember that our Heavenly father always deserves our celebration.
I want to echo Amy Parker’s sentiments in her board book Thank You, God, for Daddy. My earthly father was a gift from God. He wanted me to be kind and good. He fixed things that were broken, and he took good care of my family. He also led me to know my Heavenly Father, “the best hero around! I know I can depend on him—He never lets me down!”
Atticus Finch was a hero to his daughter as well. Like Scout, who saw the good in her own father’s eyes, may we all aspire to possess our Heavenly Father’s eyes as we spend more time in devotion and in drawing closer to Him in our daily walks.
I’ll leave you with a song that celebrates these sentiments:
“It was times like these when I thought my father . . . was the bravest man who ever lived.”—Harper Lee
“Sometimes I think my papa is an accordion. When he looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear the notes.”—Markus Zusak
“Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly.”–Pablo Neruda
“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”—Psalm 103:13
“Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?”—Malachi 2:10
Deuteronomy 6:6-9; John 3:16; Exodus 20:10
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