Yesterday my friend Joann told how her view of parenting was challenged to shift when a man looked her in the eye and quoted Psalm 68:5, that God---not she--is a father to the fatherless. Turns out that wasn't the only time she'd wrestled with that issue. Here's from an encounter she had with her daughter...
A couple of months ago my 18-yr.-old daughter was away for three weeks and when she came home she sat on my bed and we had one of "those" talks. You know, the long, teary, emotional teen talks. Anyway at one point she said "I guess I don't need a Dad right now."
When I began to protest she said, "Mom, God promises to give me all that I need and I don't have a Dad, so I must not need one." Well, that was pretty hard to argue with.
I was reminded of that once again early this morning. It is all part of filling that father gap in our lives. God is showing my daughter that He is meeting her needs. That does not mean that a physical father wouldn't be good and helpful and well, just plain nice! But it means that God is taking care of us in a way that I would never have dreamed.
I watched the movie “Courageous” a couple of weeks ago. I will admit I struggled because it's the story of a marriage, but at the same time, I had a peace all the way through. The fact is, there is a difference between a father who has died, who had no chance of sticking around, and one who leaves the family by choice.
It's just not the same and a widow's children are indeed fatherless….. a child who's dad is not there, still has a dad, even though he's a lousy one (and I believe God cares for those kids too, just in a different way).
So if God is father to the fatherless AND supplies all our needs then we can truly relax in His arms and let Him take over and KNOW that it will be OK.
Not merely hope, but know!!! God does not go back on His Word.
A couple of months ago my 18-yr.-old daughter was away for three weeks and when she came home she sat on my bed and we had one of "those" talks. You know, the long, teary, emotional teen talks. Anyway at one point she said "I guess I don't need a Dad right now."
When I began to protest she said, "Mom, God promises to give me all that I need and I don't have a Dad, so I must not need one." Well, that was pretty hard to argue with.
I was reminded of that once again early this morning. It is all part of filling that father gap in our lives. God is showing my daughter that He is meeting her needs. That does not mean that a physical father wouldn't be good and helpful and well, just plain nice! But it means that God is taking care of us in a way that I would never have dreamed.
I watched the movie “Courageous” a couple of weeks ago. I will admit I struggled because it's the story of a marriage, but at the same time, I had a peace all the way through. The fact is, there is a difference between a father who has died, who had no chance of sticking around, and one who leaves the family by choice.
It's just not the same and a widow's children are indeed fatherless….. a child who's dad is not there, still has a dad, even though he's a lousy one (and I believe God cares for those kids too, just in a different way).
So if God is father to the fatherless AND supplies all our needs then we can truly relax in His arms and let Him take over and KNOW that it will be OK.
Not merely hope, but know!!! God does not go back on His Word.
- "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
- "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Psalm 23:1
- "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33
- "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." Matt 10:29,31
He knows what our kids need, when they need it, and He will fulfill that need. Will it be hard some times to wait?
-- Yes! Is it the right thing to do? -- Yes!
- "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” Lamentation 3:24-25
After getting out of the shower each morning I always read my daily 365 day devotional calendar.... which is sitting on the back of my toliettank. This morning it read -
ReplyDelete"THE ADVANTAGE OF THE HELPLESS"
In Thee the fatherless find mercy. Hosea 14:3
The fatherless have no human arm to lean upon. Therefore, they become a very special concern for our heavenly Father. If, to find the Lord's mercy, we need be shorn of earthly aid, there is good reason for casting away all such confidences and relying entirely on the Lord alone.
The more needy and helpless I am, the more confidently do I appeal to God's loving heart. Better to have and hope in God and no other friend, than all the patrons upon earth and no Heavenly Father. It has often been said "God helps those who help themselves, truth is God helps those who are unable to help themselves. And when earthly resourses are exhausted it is then . . . and in Thee does the Fatherless find mercy.
the concluding Prayer was : Heavenly Father I have no other refuge; to hang my helpless soul upon but Thee, Leave, O leave me not alone. Still support, comfort and strengthen me, for in Thee and Thee alone do the Fatherless find mercy" amen
That's beautiful! thank you so much. I've read Hosea several times but never noticed 14:3 before.
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