Being Fathered by God – Day 13

Lucky 13, a day and a number that have been so precious and special to me. Many have bad views of 13 but for me it began with the incredible blessings of marriage and years later a child. As today begins down one from yesterday as we had to say goodbye and preparing to make sure we have everything needed for setup tomorrow. So more focused family time together gathering and ensuring we have what is needed to be ready, get ready, and accomplish God’s purpose and plan for today!

I found this devotional: Being Fathered By God. The devotional seems very powerful and purposeful as it calls out how “Every man has had authority figures in his life, and much of what a man perceives about God was shaped by those authority figures. His earthly father is at the top of every man’s authority list.” So I took on the offer to join the journey into this devotional. Will you join me on this 14-day journey?

Scripture for today’s devotional:

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:6-10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let’s be the dads who walk humbly and live humbly! Let’s be the dads who humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand! Let’s be the dads who humble ourselves under God’s hand rather than preparing for the fall by walking pridefully! Let’s be the dads who humble ourselves rather than needing to be humbled! Let’s be the dads who who humble ourselves for we know that in the right timeGod will lift us up! Let’s be the dads who aren’t walking around anxious about thing but instead walking around praying about everything! Let’s be the dads who cast our cares upon God rather than trying to carry around these anxieties ourselves because He cares for us! Let’s be the dads who are alert and sober minded! Let’s be the dads who are prepared and ready because we know that the devil, the enemy of our soul prowling around trying to rob, kill, and destroy us! Let’s be the dads who who are aware and on the guard, putting on the full armor of God because we know that our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour! Let’s be the dads who are on guard for our wives, our kids, and our world because we know the devil is looking for someone to devour, to rob, to kill, and even to destroy! Let’s be the dads who resist the devil and his temptations by standing firm in our faith in Jesus, because we know that the family throughout the world is undergoing the same sufferings! Let’s be the dads who resist the devil because we know that he will flee! Let’s be the dads who are ready, prepared, on guard, and armed so that we won’t be tricked by the devil and so that by the grace of God, who called us to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus so that even though in this world we will have troubles, we can take heart because Jesus has overcome the world! Lt’s be the dads who realize that after we have suffered a little while, Jesus will Himself restore us and make us strong, firm, and steadfast! Let’s be the dads who consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds because we know that it builds our faith, and when perseverance has completed its work in and through us, we will be complete and lacking nothing!

Today’s devotional was provided by Michael Thompson where on zoweh.org they share the following: “Every man has had authority figures in his life, and much of what a man perceives about God and projects onto God was shaped by those authority figures. At the top of every man’s authority list is his earthly father. How your dad handled your heart has shaped you and contributed significantly to how you perceive God. Join us for this journey towards experiencing the heart of the Father and getting everything out of the way that is in the way of being a Beloved Son.“

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)

Through zoweh.org, you are able to download today’s devotional and many others. For more information, please visit https://www.zoweh.org/youversion.

Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
”The Man I Am Becoming”

• Let’s be the dads who become more and more like Jesus each day, each challenge, each trial, each trouble!
• Let’s be the dads who “are becoming is expertly formed one surgery at a time through the removal (via confession and repentance) of lies and the installation of truth”!
• Let’s be the dads who are becoming new mean in Christ!
• Let’s be the dads who are internalizing the truth of what we are experiencing and receiving the wisdom and discernment of God through His Holy Spirit so that we understand truth and what is true!
• Let’s be the dads who realize God is good!
• Let’s be the dads who realize that God is in change and walking out life alongside me, ready and willing to help us!
• Let’s be the dads who realize that when the burdens of life start to feel too heavy realize it is because we are trying to do our thing in our own ways!
• Let’s be the dads who choose to become yoked to Jesus because His yoke is easy and His burden is light!
• Let’s be the dads who lean in and lean on God so that God is able to prune, trim, and surgically transform our hearts and minds to become more and more like Jesus!
• Let’s be the dads who turn to God and to His Word when we aren’t sure what to do!
• Today’s devotional shares these worlds as something to reflect upon when we consider the life of Peter:
  • “Be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith.
    
    The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are— will have you put together and on your feet for good. 1 Peter 5:6–10 MSG”
• Today’s devotional goes on to compare the above words of Peter with the way he had been living previously, compared to after his encounter with Jesus when it says:
  • “That doesn’t sound like the Peter who was quick to spout off whatever was on his mind. The Peter who, if he didn’t have a sword, would grab someone else’s. The Peter who, instead of simply listening, always felt compelled to tell the Son of God, “Jesus, I have a better idea.” What happened to that Peter as he moved from his late twenties to his late fifties?”
• Let’s be the dads who like Peter, walk with God and are being Fathered by God, and live to tell about it to our wives, our kids, our grandkids, and the world around us!
• Let’s be the dads who are living in the healing of Jesus!
• Let’s be the dads who are transformed by the healing and surgical precision of God!
• Let’s be the dads who are ready and willing to give up the old ways in order to become the men of God that He created and purposed for us to become!
• Let’s be the dads who cling to the truth and press into what God is and wants to do in and through our lives in order to come the dads He created and purposed for us to be!
• Today’s devotional closes with this:
  • “Increasingly we are growing into more and more: we are becoming the Beloved Sons of a true Father. He loves us unconditionally. If we’ll be open to it, we can experience his love. And when we experience it, everything changes.”
• Today’s devotional then challenges us with these questions to consider and reflect upon in our alone time with God!
  • “What would it look like to take God up on the offer of remaking, remodeling and restoring you?”
  • “Where would he start?”
  • “Would you be excited at the proposition?”
  • “If Peter, why not you?”