This weekend we honor our fathers on Father’s Day. We can truly praise the Lord for all the fathers who have been true to their God given responsibility of being the spiritual leader and provider of their family. [Honor] is to be bestowed upon a father who not only instructs his family in the ways of the Lord – but more importantly one who applies the Word of God in his own life. The Scriptures teach us that fathers are to remind their families of the blessings that are afforded us from our heavenly Father when we are obedient unto God’s Word. Likewise, the Scriptures teach us that fathers are to vociferously warn their families of the cursings that are afforded us when we are disobedient unto God’s Word.
One such passage is found in Psalms 78:1-8,
“Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.”
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 also states,
“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
Fathers are God honoring when they teach their families the ways of the Lord – not only in word – but most importantly in deed. When a father honors his heavenly Father with his own life – he exemplifies one who daily walks by the Word of the Lord. Subsequently, his life teaches his children the foundational precepts and benefits of Ephesians 6:2-3,
“Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”
A father who lives by the Word of God also teaches his family what it truly means to reverence, honor, worship and obey our heavenly Father – for herein are we blessed of God. When a father – by example – seeks forgiveness from the Lord when he sins, he teaches his family the importance of maintaining a sweet fellowship with the Lord. Likewise, he also teaches that unconfessed sin harms our fellowship with the Lord. Furthermore, when confessing his sins before the Lord, he exemplifies a true understanding of the following Scripture.
Psalms 51:4,
“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”
Equally true, it is just as important that his family hears from his own lips praise offered up to the Lord, as in the following Scriptures.
Psalms 28:7,
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”
Psalms 145:2,
“Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.”
Job was one who demonstrated these qualities as seen in Job 1:1,4,5,
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.”
I pray that each father will take to heart his God given responsibility to walk according to the Word of God. To our fathers, Happy Father’s Day!!
