‘You’re a good good father’ (Chris Tomlin – 2015)
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Today for some will be very difficult, a day that honours fathers.
I met a man a few years ago, and we exchanged stories about our early life, he had grown up with a very abusive father, both verbal and physical abuse was suffered on a regular basis during his early childhood, and even right up to the time when he was old enough to leave home, and he left as quickly as he could.
I talked about my father, and the fact that he had died when I was fourteen, and it was the first day back at school when this happened, I included how it made me feel, and altered my outlook on life, and I continued up to the point where I too left home and got my own flat.
“I don’t know how you coped” he said, “I don’t think I could have coped very well without a father”.
“But you suffered for years with abuse” I replied.
“I don’t think I could have managed without my dad though” he said.
Different people have different ways when coping with things.
We as human fathers are not perfect, we are broken, just as is the world we live in, ever since the fall (Genesis 3), and so things in the world do not work as they were originall intended to by God. We all make mistakes;
‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23 NIV).
At some point we will all have done things that are not right, we will have lied, maybe stolen, gossiped about someone etc. This is all ‘sin’, so we all do it, whether intentionally or not, and it is a constant battle not to do things like this;
‘For I know that nothing good dwells within me. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do’ (Romans 7:18 & 19 RSV).
But even though we fail God and sin, and do things that we know we should not, and do not do the things that we know we should, there is still hope;
‘Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish will give him a snake’ (Luke 11:11 NIV).
So even though we are by nature sinful people, we love our children and will try to do the best for them.
The man suffering abuse thought his dad was trying to make him stronger to enable him to face the woes of the world.
My dad equally tried to prepare me for the world, but by different means.
When Jesus came to the earth, he did so because of God’s outrageous love for us. Even though we fail God and sin, even though we may turn away from God as the early Israelite nation did time and time again, Jesus came because God loves us so much;
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16 RSV).
So because of God’s great love for us, his children, Jesus came to die for us. God, our Father wants us to be able to have a direct relationship with him, and so Jesus died for the sins of us all;
‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly’ (Romans 5:6 NIV).
So God the Father wanted us to be part of his family so much, that he sent Jesus, his only Son to make atonement for our sin, to die in our place.
Jesus paid the debt he did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay
Trust that God wants what is best for you.
Turn to him and ask him to forgive all the bad that you have done.
Ask him to show you how to live a better life.
Love him with all that you have and he will say;
‘You are my son (or daughter); today I have become your father’ (Psalm 2:7 – addition mine).
Let God be the good father that you may never have known; let him be the replacement father for the one that left you alone, or let him be an extra dad to the one that you may still have, either way, call him Father.
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I’ve heard a thousand stories of what they think you’re like
But I’ve heard the tender whispers of love in the dead of night
And you tell me that you’re pleased
And that I’m never alone
You’re a good good father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am
I’ve seen many searching for answers far and wide
But I know we’re all searching
For answers only you provide
‘Cause you know just what we need
Before we say a word
Because you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us
You are…
Good Good Father
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Father, thank you so much that you are always there for us, that we can turn to you for comfort, for guidance, that we can call out and you will hear us. There are so many of us that have need of you in our life, to show us how to live, how to interact with others, Lord come along-side us in our need and show us your love, that we may reflect this in our lives.
Amen
Bobbles Stuff 