By Gloria Wessner
Did you grow up without a dad in the house? Or maybe you grew up with a father that abused you physically or just ignored you so you basically didn’t have a dad? Perhaps you never knew who your father was, or this Father’s Day you might be grieving over the recent or long ago loss of your dad. Even if you have or have had a good relationship with your earthly father, we often still long for an inner, deep abiding relationship.
There is someone, a heavenly father, who totally understands all of those situations who is always there and waiting for each person – child or adult, to come so he can meet whatever needs he or she may have and ensure an ongoing intimate relationship with that person.
‘ Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families…’ (Psalm 68:5, 6b NLT)
We are to come, as children, into the waiting arms of a heavenly father who never gets tired of waiting for us to respond.
‘Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.’ (Luke 18:16 NLT)
By faith, we come. Even if we don’t understand how ‘it’ works – it does, because it’s God. We simply tell him, ‘I believe’, and he comes into my life; and my journey in God begins.
‘But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.’ (John 1:12, 13 NLT)
‘For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.’ (Galatians 3:26 NLT)
‘And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory…’ (Romans 8:17a NLT)
And when He does it – its right, and good, and loving, and forever – this relationship that each of us needs to connect to our Creator, God and Father. He makes the changes needed in each heart when we believe by faith; and helps us to live the way we were meant to live – in Him and for Him – working with and through our personalities He created. Personalities that were meant to live in harmony with Him. It is a connection that fulfills our deepest need for any association known to mankind.
‘But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”1 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.’ (Galatians 4:4-7 NLT)
This weekend, what is stopping you from becoming connected with God the father? He’s waiting for you.
Readers are invited to write me at: gloriawes@hotmail.com.
Happy Father’s Day to all the grampas, dads, uncles, and stepdads!
- An endearing term that translates from the Aramaic language Jesus spoke which is close to our equivalent of ‘daddy’.