As a dad, what types of challenges do we go through? What tends to be the tough spots amid everything? Where does your help come from? Have you ever stopped to consider how you got to this point? Has it ever come to your mind what your part was in getting you to this point? Did you seek God’s wisdom and discernment throughout the journey or wait until you were at the end of your rope? Do you look up amid everything or wait until you hit rock bottom to start looking up and crying out?
I remember learning about forgiveness and how I share the story regularly as I realized had I listened to the still quiet voice that kept prompting me to forgive, I wouldn’t have gotten pretty close to rock bottom. What is or has God been prompting you with through the still quiet voice of the Holy Spirit? Are you being obedient or are you resisting His prompting? I remember resisting the prompt to be obedient till the day the louder voice spoke and threatened that if I didn’t obey I would be nothing. Nothing sounded bad and it was what I needed to stop disqualifying myself and start obeying and pursuing what God was calling me to do. (if you ever want to check out the back stories there is a video on forgiveness on YouTube and several posts on From2005ToEternity.WordPress.com about the threat of becoming nothing)
Seek Strength in the Lord: “My Help Comes from the Lord”
In the hustle and bustle of life, dads easily feel overwhelmed by the weight of their responsibilities. Work, family, personal struggles—these are all part of the daily grind. Psalm 121:1-2 reminds us, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” This passage teaches that when we face difficulties, our first response should be to look up and seek strength from God, rather than trying to carry the weight alone. The key takeaway is that God is the source of our strength and support. The practical application is to cultivate a habit of prayer and consistently seek God’s guidance in every situation, trusting that He will provide the help needed to navigate the challenges of fatherhood.
Trust in God’s Wisdom: “Lean Not on Your Own Understanding”
It’s natural to want to solve problems ourselves, but Proverbs 3:5-6 counsels us differently: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” This scripture is a powerful reminder that our understanding is limited, and relying solely on our wisdom can lead us astray. Instead, God calls us to trust Him fully, allowing His wisdom to guide our decisions. The takeaway is that acknowledging God’s sovereignty in our lives will lead to better outcomes than relying on our judgment alone. In practice, this means pausing to seek God’s counsel before making any decisions, large or small, and aligning our actions with His will as revealed in scripture.
Obey God’s Prompting: “Be Doers of the Word”
James 1:22 admonishes us, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” As fathers, it’s crucial not just to hear God’s voice but also to act upon it. There are moments when the Holy Spirit gently nudges us in a direction—whether to forgive, step up in leadership, or guide our families with love and patience. Ignoring these promptings can lead us to spiritual and emotional rock bottom, but when we choose to obey, we position ourselves and our families to receive God’s blessings. The key takeaway is the importance of obedience to God’s Word. The practical application is to respond promptly and faithfully to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, trusting that God’s commands are for our good and the good of those we lead.
A Higher Calling for Fathers
The Bible consistently teaches that our help, wisdom, and direction come from God alone. As fathers, this calls us to look beyond our limited capabilities and trust in the One who knows the beginning from the end. By seeking God’s strength, trusting in His wisdom, and obeying His promptings, we can fulfill the high calling of fatherhood for the good of our families and the glory of God. The importance of this truth cannot be overstated—it serves as the foundation upon which we can build a legacy of faith, love, and integrity. Therefore, let us commit to looking up, trusting God’s perfect plan, and walking in obedience as we lead our families in the way of the Lord.
Today’s Devotional:
This year, I am utilizing the 365 Daily Devotions book I received for Christmas, applying its teachings specifically in the context of fatherhood. It’s called WALKING WITH GOD by DAVID JEREMIAH. It’s exciting to learn from a new resource this year as we have tried different options the past two years and will keep working through this for 2024. For more information about the author and his ministry, visit DavidJeremiah.org.
Topic: OUR HELP
Verse: Matthew 15:25
'The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. '
Let’s be the dads who realize our source for wisdom, discernment, provision, and truth is God and cry out to Jesus early and often rather than waiting till we get to the end of our ropes or hit rock bottom. Remember to whom our hope is so that we know who to cry out for help. Let’s choose to live out our today in faith!
Help when we face troubles
Today’s Devotional starts with a story about a bear who got himself into trouble. He got his head stuck in a milk can and the adventure of getting it off. So I went looking for a news report and found something similar here. It continues to call out how problems happen. It then speaks to how when problems happen, “we will need help to get out of our problems.” Psalms 46:1 reminds us that ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.‘ That’s right, as Psalm 121:2 says, ‘My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.‘ So rather than focusing on the troubles, let’s focus on the one who is our help in times of trouble. “We need to simply pray to Him.”
Today’s devotional reminds of how “when we pray, we’re coming to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace to help in our time of need.” It goes on to call out how in Hebrews 4:16 we are to approach with confidence, trusting in God. It challenges us to cling to the reality of Psalms 146:5 in regards to where our help and our hope comes from. Let’s be the dads who are blessed because our help is God and our hope is in the Lord our God.
“O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come…”
ISAAC WATTS
