Father’s Day

Father’s Day has always been special to me because it was the day when, as a baby, I was dedicated to the Lord. I don’t remember the event, of course, but it was recounted to me many times growing up, along with other family stories that were told over and over. The message I took to heart was that I was special; a precious daughter who was loved and who belonged to the Lord. When it came time for me to personally choose to follow God, my close relationship with my own dad made it that much easier to trust my Heavenly Father with my heart.

As young girls, all of us had tender and sensitive hearts that were easily broken by any disappointment or betrayal. It took time for those wounds to heal and for us to allow ourselves to trust again. You may have even been hurt deeply by your dad – and therefore your view of God as your Heavenly Father was affected. Whatever our individual past experiences, I’m so glad that there are other ways for us to learn about the character of our Heavenly Father so that we may know Him more.

June is such a great time to reflect on nature and the created world around us – Romans 1:20 says “for since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that [we] are without excuse.” Have you ever marveled at how a God that made the mountains and wild beasts, in all their enduring, rugged strength, also made the sparrows and lilies, the essence of fragility and tenderness? As women, our hearts were created tender and fragile so that we would trust Father God as our Jehovah Jirah – our provider. A much-quoted passage of Scripture, Matthew 6:25-34, urges us not to worry about tomorrow, or be concerned about where our next meal will come from. For as God takes care of the sparrows and lilies, how much more will He provide for those who are created in His image and who trust Him in everything.

We also learn more about our Heavenly Father’s character by studying the Bible. Hebrews 12:5-11 in particular gives us an interesting perspective on the spiritual Father-child relationship.  As much as we dread the dry, painful seasons of life, the Bible says that they are often a necessary part of our growth into true daughters of God. We each need pruning if we ever hope to yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness and reflect our spiritual family resemblance.

There is also no substitute for experiencing God through prayer and meditation. We need to see God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, as a warrior who desires to battle on our behalf. We must learn to cease from trying to fix things – or people – on our own. Give it over to God. Our fragile hearts were designed to trust, yield, and obey, and to allow the Holy Spirit to take the battle for us. Romans 8:37 tells us that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. A conqueror is a warrior; so to be more than a conqueror means that we get to reap the rewards of the conquest without having to go to battle. Just as a prince fights a battle in order to take the spoil to the princess he loves, so Jesus has won the battle for us and offers us eternal life free of charge. That’s the heart of our Heavenly Father. He longs for you to know Him more so that your trust in Him can be made even more complete. That alone should be reason enough to celebrate Father’s Day with tremendous joy and hope as you marvel in the love of your Heavenly Father for you. And if you’re like me, and you have always treasured this day, be sure to honour your dad and thank him for doing such a great job at reflecting the Father heart of God. Happy Father’s Day!

Ruth-Ellen W.