spiritualsnippets.com

Seeing life's events in the light of God's Word.

Happy Father’s Day!

Proverbs 13:1- “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction…”

Today we honor dads everywhere.

Hopefully, we recognize their uniqueness and special place in our lives everyday.

My father was a true family man. After God, he put our family first. And it wasn’t easy for a man with a minimal education.

With a family of four children to provide for, he often worked two jobs in the early years. He taught himself the complicated math skills necessary to advance in the aerospace industry. Often times, he’d work all day, come home for dinner, and then go back out and dig ditches for several more hours each night.

Being the only driver, I remember him sometimes falling asleep as he sat in a chair near the checkout waiting for us kids to get what we needed at Sears or JC Penny.

Dad always had time for things that were important. Church was one of those things. He would spread out a newspaper on the counter on Saturday nights and polish four pairs of shoes and on Sunday morning, we’d find our “offering” for church lined up on the countertop beside them.

Dad woke us each Sunday morning by pulling on our toes and announcing, “Rise and Shine.” We might have been grumpy those mornings, but Dad wasn’t. He had a huge smile on his face as he walked us to our Sunday school rooms. 

He showed unconditional love to each of us. And lest you get the impression that it was all sweetness and roses at our house, I must admit to getting in trouble and dreading the “switch.” 

Yes, Dad punished us for getting out of line. And those were the only times we saw tears in our father’s eyes.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad. Ninety-six years old and still setting the example of what it’s like to follow our Heavenly Father’s leading here on earth.

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Always There

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Deuteronomy 31: 8- “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

 

I tip-toed into my father’s room last week and studied his face while he lay sleeping next to Mom.

I recalled some especially good times from the past and soon found tears trickling down my cheeks.

“Don’t leave me, Daddy,” I whispered just like I often did when I was a little girl.

I realize it will happen some day. After all, Dad is 93. But I’m just not ready to say good-bye to this gentle man quite yet.

I know I will see my earthly father again in heaven, but until then there will be a period of time we will be separated.

On the other hand, God tells us that He is eternal and will live forever. I am grateful that he created us and will watch over us both now and for all eternity.

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Manna From Heaven

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Deuteronomy 8:3- “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

 

As a child, I remember Sunday afternoons with Dad. Working long hours during the week, he was always sure to spend Sundays with us as a family. After church, we would eat lunch. That was followed by a drive in the family car, then a few hours at the park or swimming, Goofy golf, etc.

Dad did his best to maintain a relationship with his four children, although (as I recall) there wasn’t much time spent with us, individually.

Looking back on those days, I admire Dad’s commitment to family, even though I would like to have known him on a more personal level.

Maybe that is why daily communication with God is so important to me. Through prayer and Bible reading I can know my heavenly father—as He knows me. He provides for my needs, first, and then showers me with the blessing of a deepening relationship with Him.

God supplied the Israelites with manna (bread from heaven) daily. For what purpose? To teach them that spiritual food is more important than physical food. We need to feast on God’s Word (our daily bread).

If we only eat physical food once a week, we will perish. In the same way, if we eat from God’s Word only once a week, we cannot enjoy a full and abiding sense of his presence—a deep relationship with Him.

Human fathers are limited in time and space, but in that God is omnipresent, our Heavenly Father is able to spend time with us, individually—each and every day. 

 

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The Perfect Choice

 

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Matthew 1:20- “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

 

Jesus took on the form of a man and came to earth. 

There are many instances of him praying to his Heavenly Father in scripture. But what about Joseph and the role he played as the earthly father to Jesus?

God chose him because he exemplified all of the good qualities that the Bible tells us are important to Him—things like gentleness of spirit, encouraging, humble, of godly character, honesty, truthfulness, patience, compassionate, loving, just/fair, and wise. 

He was a hard-working carpenter. Even though he didn’t make a lot of money, he was a good provider for his family. He was a man of prayer.

God chose Mary as a mother for His only begotten son, Joseph as a husband for Mary and father for Jesus. Knowing the heart of every man, God chose the perfect one.

I believe he chooses the perfect earthly father for each of us because he knows the kind of man each of us will need to nurture us and help us grow.

You may not realize it, now. You may even think I’m crazy. “If you only knew my dad,” you shout. “He’s far from perfect.”

You are right. I don’t know your earthly father. But, I know our Heavenly Father. And, I also know that we sometimes do not see the truth of things until many years later. 

I heard a story about a guy who had a harsh father who emotionally and physically abused him as he grew up. Yet, the circumstances of his life after he left home were hard and the strong character he had developed as he struggled with his mother to make ends meet, gave him the exact skills he needed to keep him alive during the next twenty years. It was later, as a missionary, that his story  was instrumental in bringing countless souls to Christ.

Today, I’m thankful for Joseph. God’s man on earth, who—with God’s help—protected and guided Jesus to manhood. 

 

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The Ultimate Valentine

Romans 1:20- For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

We hadn’t used binoculars since we camped in northern Arizona. Now, I pulled them out of the closet and packed them into our suitcase. We were heading for a whale watching excursion in the Pacific Ocean as part of our vacation in San Clemente, California.

The binoculars would help us detect the large mammals from a distance, bringing them into focus even from far away. Without them, we might never know that these spectacular creatures were anywhere nearby.

The Bible says one day we will see God. We will “Behold Him” in all of His Glory. We won’t need binoculars—we’ll see Him face-to-face!

But what about now? Is there any way to see Him—to recognize Him in our daily lives here on earth?

His Word tells us we can see evidence of Him all around us— in the heavens and on the earth. That even in those places where the gospel hasn’t been preached, people can know of Him because all of nature testifies of Him!

This earth, this galaxy, didn’t come into existence because of some “Big Bang!” They were created for us to inhabit, for our enjoyment, in order to increase our awareness of our Heavenly Father. All of creation gives evidence of the great love of God for His children.

The rainbow…a waterfall…the hummingbird…sunrise and sunset…ocean waves…a summer breeze… a colorful butterfly…sunbeams streaming through a windowpane…stars, moon, planets, and puffy clouds… Take a second look at them, today. Think about the one who created them: our Heavenly Father.

He loved us so much that He made all of nature for our pleasure, but more than this, he made them to send us a message. A message that He exists, that He loves us, that He wants to connect with us. They tell of His divine nature and His great power.

God was in control as He created. Today, He IS still in control. Although things may not always seem to be going “right”, He IS near us. He will have the ultimate victory!

This world may be all about Valentines and lace and sparkly diamonds, but He is about a universe filled with reminders that His love is unfailing, unending. Love in its purest form, for by His very nature, HE IS LOVE.

Brenda

 

 

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