Words about the WORD - Michael Atmar - MMPC
“Father of Mercies”
With Father’s Day coming up this weekend, I have been reflecting on the many verses in Scripture that teach us that God is our Father. For example, in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Paul exclaims: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” David declares in Psalm 103:13, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.” Do you have a favorite Scripture about the beautiful and powerful truth that God is our Father?
In his famous book entitled Knowing God, J.I. Packer explains the centrality of this doctrine in the Bible: “You sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all. ‘Father’ is the Christian name for God. Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.”
So, I would like to ask you today, dear reader: “How much do you make of the thought of being God’s child?” If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, do you rejoice each day that God calls you His beloved child? Does that wonderful thought lead you to worship Him? Do you pray to Him in your times of joy and sorrow with the familiar and powerful title: “Father…”? Are you living each day with the knowledge that the Lord is loving enough to care about the difficult things you are going through and that he is powerful enough to do something about them?
Some of us struggle to understand this truth about God because we haven’t had earthly fathers who modeled it for us. Instead of experiencing a father who “shows compassion to his children,” we experienced a father who was absent, self-absorbed, or perhaps even abusive. If that has been your experience, I invite you to lift up your heart to the Lord in prayer and say, “Father me with your tender compassion, your steadfast love, and your infinite wisdom, O God. Heal my broken heart and help me to believe that you are my loving, faithful, and good Father.”
Others of us have had wonderful earthly fathers who taught us about the Lord Jesus and modeled his patience, love, protection, and provision to us. Or maybe it wasn’t your biological father, but another “spiritual father” who taught you about the Lord Jesus and has helped you to grow in your faith. Either way, I invite you to pause and pray this prayer: “Thank you, Heavenly Father, for my wonderful earthly father and/or spiritual fathers who have shown me what your love is like. I praise you today for their lives and for their legacy in my life.”
If you are a father, would you take this opportunity to reflect on the way you are modeling the love, provision, and protection of our Heavenly Father to your children, grandchildren, and spiritual children who look to you for guidance? You can pray and ask the Lord for help with this important calling he has given you: “Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for not modeling your love and patience to my children. Help me to remember how incredibly patient and merciful you have been with me throughout my life. Please strengthen me by your Holy Spirit to teach and to model the love of Jesus to my children for the glory of your name. May they know you as their Father and come to you in their time of need. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
