Seeing God As Our Father

by Melissa J | More from this Blogger

17 Aug 2006 03:49 PM

For those who didn't have a dad growing up, or didn't have a healthy one, it can be difficult to imagine God's perfect love for us as our father. A good father provides, comforts, protects, disciplines, and loves us beyond what we can imagine. There are so many examples in the Bible about God's goodness to us as a father. I would like to share with you a few of these scriptures.

Father to the fatherless:

How wonderful that He can fill that father role in the lives of those who don't have a one!

• Psalm 68:5, "A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation."

Provider:

He provides even the most basic of our needs.

• Matthew 6:26, "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Comforter and Protector:

In times of trouble, we can run to Him for comfort.

• Psalm 32:7, "You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; you shall surround me with songs of deliverance."

• Psalm 34:17, "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."

• Psalm 94:18-19, "If I say, 'My foot slips,' your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul."

Disciplinary:

Just as an earthly father is there to instruct and correct, so is our heavenly Father.

• Psalm 94:12, "Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, and teach out of Your law."

• Proverbs 3:11-12, "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor detest His correction; for whom the LORD loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights."

Who loves us:

I believe the greatest love was shown to us when Jesus died on the cross to save us from our own sins. He became that living sacrifice for us. Jesus tells us that the Father was in Him (John 10:38).

• Romans 8:38-39, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities not powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height not depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

It is wonderful to know we have a loving Father who is with us and wants to help us in our time of need. When we are in need of Him we know we can run into His arms in prayer.

I'll close with a verse from Matthew 7:11, in the words of Christ, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

My hope for any dads reading this is that your children might look at you and see Christ in you; that they might have a better understanding of God's love for us. My hope for others that didn't have a father around is for you to know, God wants to fill that role in your life as a father to you.

Related Blogs:

Who is Jesus? Looking at the Trinity

Super Heroes

Jesus is My Friend

All scripture references are quoted from the NKJV.

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4nrmike (224) 18 Aug 2006 08:26 PM

Great article MJ. God as our Father is a high standard for us fathers to live up to. The thought that as I look to God is how my young child looks to me is very sobering, and I pray that my son will come to know God as his Heavenly Father.

Melissa J (13710) 19 Aug 2006 01:07 AM

What a great dad you must be Mike! I agree with you completely.