It’s incredible getting to go through these devotions for dads. It’s even more incredible getting to reach out to the authors and connect with them. Today when I did my search for “dad” in the Bible.com plans, the next one on the list was from UNCOMMEN and titled – STRANGE – WORDS – A Dad’s Prayer For His Children. This one’s description aligns very strongly to our theme of Be The Dads. Here is a snippet that describes this devotional from Bible.com:
Now more than ever, the world is in need of strong fathers who love their families well. God provides the strength to those who seek Him and call upon His name. Being a father is a sacred responsibility because we reflect God’s love to our children. Men are called to lead and serve their families, and a very tangible way to do that is to pray over your children. God does amazing things in our lives when we ask for His help. But sometimes finding the words to pray over your kids can be challenging. This study includes seven things from Scripture that you can pray over your kids for each day of the week. Join us as we provide guidance and daily encouragement for great prayers based on Scripture over the next seven days.
Bible.com – UNCOMMEN
Today’s verse from God’s Word comes to us from 2 Peter 3:18:
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
2 Peter 3:18 NIV
These are powerful words and words that we need to cling to and in looking to be the dads God created us to be, it is also something that we want and we need for our kids to receive too. Let’s expand on today’s verse to get additional context for these words being spoken. It is in relation to the day of the Lord, the day when Jesus will be coming back and we will get to spend eternity with Him.
‘Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.‘
2 Peter 3:1-18
So today, let’s be the dads and stimulate wholesome thinking for ourselves, our kids, our wives, and our world. Let’s be ambassadors and encouragers for Christ so that people won’t be drawn away from God but will draw closer to God even when things get tough, get painful, and seem uncertain or unclear. Don’t get swayed or persuaded to step away because of God’s timing. God’s timing is perfect. He sees the beginning and the end. To God, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day and so don’t get wrapped in the debate of timing. God’s timing is perfect and He isn’t being slow, remember He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. So let’s be prepared! Let’s prepare our kids, our wives, and our world to be ready for that day when Jesus returns. The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything were done in it will be laid bare. So we need to be prepared and be the dads! We need to be prepared and help our kids and wives to be ready. Let’s decide to live lives that are holy, set apart for God, and aligned to God’s purpose, plan, and will. That day is coming and it will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. God will keep His promise to us though and so we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So let’s be ready and be the dads so that our family will be ready too. Let’s lead by example so that we can all live as a family that will be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him. So today, let’s put on the full armor of God, stand firm, and be on our guard. And so let’s grab hold of today’s verse which tells us:
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
2 Peter 3:18 NIV
Today’s devotional has been provided by UNCOMMEN (more details can be found https://www.uncommen.org/).
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me: (check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
KNOWING CHRIST
- Today’s devotional kicks off with an incredible prayer connected to today’s verse:
- Let’s be the dads who not only pass on the knowledge of Jesus but also the important of knowing and being in relationship with Jesus.
- Let’s be the dads so that our kids will have everything they need in and through Jesus so that they won’t be tempted or drawn into the world that will offer them many things, some good and some bad.
- Let’s be the dads that help introduce our kids to Jesus so that they too can walk out their lives in relationship with Jesus.
- Let’s be the dads that help our kids, our wives, and ourselves have the right thought life.
- Today’s devotional stops us and gets us to consider this:
- For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. — 1 Corinthians 2:2
- it asks us to pause and take inventory of our thought life over the past 5 minutes
- This question made me think about another verse from the letters to the Corinthians where it says We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. — 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
- I know many thoughts went through my mind in the last 5 minutes, but this draws me back to what is most important.
- For me to be the dad, I need to take every thought captive.
- For me to be the dad, I need to make every thought obedient to Christ.
- For me to be the dad, I need to keep my focus, my thoughts, my words, and my actions aligned to Jesus.
- Let’s not get distracted by the things of this world.
- Let’s not get derailed by the worries of this world.
- Let’s not spiral out of control by the things of this world.
- Let’s determine to be the dads and to live our lives in a way that will both glorify God and bring a legacy that has our kids loving God and walking out the rest of their lives in relationship with Him.
- Are you ready to stop, to pause, to focus? Studies say we spend about 30 minutes a day without distractions.
- Are you ready to stop, to pause, to focus? Studies say we spend about 3 hours per weekend (that’s right over 2 days) without distrations.
- So will you make the time to be with and spend time with your kids?
- Will you choose to be the dads and make time to be with and pour into your kids and their lives?
- Will you choose to be the dads and make the time you get to spend with them be time spent pouring the love of Jesus into their lives?
- Will you choose to be the dads and make the things around your home speak to the importance of a relationship with Jesus?
- Will you choose to be the dads and make the things around your home help them know Jesus?
- Today’s devotional finishes with a challenge:
- “UNCOMMEN Challenge: What changes could you make in your home or daily routine to help encourage your children to know and walk with Christ?”
