Daily Devotional for Sunday June 17, 2007

Honoring Our Fathers

(Ephesians 6:4)

Today is the day the world celebrates Father's Day. > In our busy lives, it is good that we are forced to take a moment and > recognize our dads. I had a wonderful father that unfortunately passed > away > when I was 16. Even though I missed sharing those young adult years with > my > dad, it was his love and nurturing in my early years that helped build the > spiritual foundation in my life. After praying about today's Devotional, > the Lord has directed me to use it as a special encouragement to the dads > out there. > > How often do we take what dad does for granted? There are Godly men out > there who are the spiritual heads of their homes. They work hard to > provide > the income needed to sustain day to day life. They love and honor their > wife. They realize their children are gifts from God and help nurture and > mold their lives. These dads realize that serving God is their divine > purpose and being the head of their home is their first and most important > ministry. Today is a day to make sure dad knows just how much we love and > appreciate him. > > For those dads out there who are working hard to be the kind of dad I just > described, know that you are in my prayers. Know that each day as you > spend > that special time alone with the Lord, He will encourage you, prepare > you, > and make you adequate for that day. You are on the path God wants you to > be > on as you strive each day to serve Him, making your wife and children your > number one priorities. Balance is one of the biggest hurdles you face > each > day, and I pray the Lord will help you find that perfect balance between > work, home, serving Him, and relaxing. > > The other big hurdle is being able to give God control. Having so much > responsibility each day, letting go and really trusting God at certain > times > is not easy. Just remember, in John 15:5 it says "Without me you can do > nothing." God has given you great talents, great gifts, but without the > Lord's strength, and He being in charge, it won't make any difference. > Make > your faith real daily as you learn to trust Him more each day. > > I recognize today that there are also many dads who aren't the kind of dad > I described. Unless someone is totally committed and surrendered to the > Lord, overseeing the responsibilities of marriage and children often > suffer. Without the Lord leading your life, getting caught up in all of > the > traps of this world happen frequently, and life really never makes much > sense. The importance of being a husband, a father, don't have the > significance they should. That is why so many men have left the home, > abandoned their children, and continually are caught up in every kind of > sin imaginable. > > To those dads I want you to know that if you are tired of running from > God, > tired of the pain, tired of the heartache, tired of nothing working...this > is the perfect day to turn it all around. Even though this is a day we > celebrate our earthly fathers, there is a Heavenly Father who loves you so > much, and if you call out to Him, He will help you straighten your life > out. > > For those wives, ex-wives, and children of dads who haven't been the Godly > dad the Bible talks of, pray for your dad. Know that deep down he is > hurting, and only surrendering to Christ will change that. God loves your > dad more than you do, and He is the one who can change your dad's heart. > I'll pray with you for your dad. > > I want you to know that I love you and do care about you. For you dads > out there today, let me encourage you by telling you...if you keep Jesus > first in your life, He will help you overcome the trials of this life, and > allow you to see victories in every area of your life. In your marriage, > in your children, in your career, in your service for Him....if you will > simply trust Him and operate in His strength, you will know blessings and > joy above and beyond anything you ever imagined. > > Please know that I will be praying for you today, and if you need any > special prayer to be the man, the husband, the father, the servant God has > called you to be....please don't hesitate to email me at: > bkeller@liveprayer.com . God has given us many great examples of how to > be > a true father. Follow Him each day and He will mold you and make you into > the father He has raised you up to be.