As the year continues and I look for devotionals about dads, the next one that came up is called What Dad Needs. I am walking through the devotionals in the order that the Bible.com plans show them when I do a search for dad. It is different from the previous devotionals I have worked through this year but to make it something that will and can honor God, I am allowing the search results to determine what devotionals to work through. What Dad Needs is a 5 day devotional and is described on Bible.com this way:
Fathers are people who constantly sacrifice for their families with very little recognition. There are many ways to give back to these men in our lives, but it is sometimes difficult to know what they are and how to implement them everyday. As you dive into Biblical ways to recognize and strengthen your relationship with your earthly dad, you will also see the many ways they reflect our Heavenly Father.
What Dad Needs
Today’s verses from God’s Word come to us from Proverbs 23:22, John 14:15-21, and Romans 12:10.
‘Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. ‘
Proverbs 23:22
‘ “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” ‘
John 14:15-21
‘Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ‘
Romans 12:10
Ever read God’s Word looking for what He wants or you can give Him? Ever read God’s Word in order to earn more about who God is, His heart, His passion, His desires, and His plans? Ever grabbed hold of the idea of loving your Heavenly Father from reading God’s Word? Ever grabbed hold of the idea of inviting God into your heart and ask Him to lead and guide you through this world and this life? Ever taken time to ask God what your purpose is and what He wants you to do in and through it? This blog came out of one of those such moments last year when God showed me that being the dad for my kids and my wife was my purpose and then He expanded upon it and hence today we have Be The Dads.
Let’s take a look at today’s verses before we check out my notes from today’s devotional. Today’s verses get us started by looking towards our parents, the parents God has given us, and the parents who God commanded that we honor so that things will go well with us and have a long life. Today’s verse speaks to listening to dad. Are you ready to get advice or direction from dad? Are you ready to listen to what he has to say? Do you realize that honoring your parents isn’t something for while you are a child but continues as they age too? As they age, they may weaken but that doesn’t take away God’s desire and plan for us to still honor them. Let’s grab hold of what we read in Ephesians 6:2-3 where it says “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.” Let’s choose to submit to God’s command so that we don’t sway or turn from them and have to deal with the consequences spoken of in Proverbs 20:20 ‘If someone curses their father or mother, their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness. ‘ and Proverbs 30:17 ‘“The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. ‘.
So today, let’s choose to love our Heavenly Father, God! Let’s demonstrate our love by obeying His commandments. Let’s walk out each moment of each day leaning in on Jesus and following the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit so that when we ask, Jesus will be our advocate that helps us in and through each situation we face. Let’s be sensitive to the prompting of the Spirit for He speaks truth! Let’s not be swayed by the ways of this world for they don’t know the truth because they won’t accept God and hence don’t see nor know Him! Thanks to Jesus and inviting Him into our lives as our Lord and Savior, we do know God and the Holy Spirit will be that prompting, that still quiet voice to direct our paths. By inviting Jesus in, the Spirit is in us and so we are never alone or apart from God and so we get to hear from Him and choose to walk in alignment and obedience to His will. So let’s choose today to live out our day in Jesus and with Jesus so that in all we think, we say, and we do, God will receive the praise, the honor, and the glory. Let’s live out today in an overflow of the love God is pouring into us through Jesus.
Will you allow this overflowing love to make you live your life in a way that devotes yourself to others? Will you allow this overflowing love to make you live your life in a way that honors others above yourself? How will you choose to live today that when others see you they will glorify your Heavenly Father? Let’s choose ways that will bring Him the praise, the honor, and the glory in Jesus’s name.
Today’s devotional has been provided by Gregg Matte from Houston’s First Baptist Church (more details can be found https://houstonsfirst.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)
- Ever noticed how in society today men are being told they are doing it wrong?
- Ever noticed how in society today dads are being told they are doing it wrong?
- Ever noticed how diminished or reduced the dads role is being portrayed in the media? TV? Shows? Movies?
- Ever noticed how dads are being portrayed as goofy or misinformed?
- Ever noticed how dads are being portrayed as not coming up with good solutions or being absent from the situations?
- Ever noticed how dads are being portrayed as stirring things up and then letting someone else have to deal with the clean up?
- We need to go back to God’s Word and understand God’s plan and purpose for dads.
- We need to go back to God’s Word and take hold of the calling God has put on dads.
- Society tends to spend a lot of time focusing on self-reflections and awareness to help with growth but forget to include recognition and appreciation.
- This is true when it comes to dads too.
- Are you giving your dad recognition when he does something that deserves it?
- Are you giving your dad love because he is your dad?
- To most dads recognition and love are received and felt when they are given respect.
- Today’s devotional defines respect this way:
- “Respect is defined as a feeling of deep admiration for someone elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.”
