As we continue this year the next plan I have selected to go through is “Rad Dad!” which is a 6 day devotional through the Bible.com site.
Day 1 – How has becoming a father changed your perspective on a Father’s love for his children?
Today’s devotional is connected with 3 key sets of scriptures: Romans 8:38-39, Isaiah 55:8-9, and James 1:13-15
‘For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
Romans 8:38-39
‘“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord . “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts higher than your thoughts. ‘
Isaiah 55:8-9
‘Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God” [for temptation does not originate from God, but from our own flaws]; for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death. ‘
James 1:13-15
Today’s verses speak to us about God’s love for us, our Heavenly Father’s love for us, the Father’s love for us. We see in Romans that nothing can separate us from the love of God through Jesus. It tells us that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“ We see in Isaiah how much greater and better the views and plans and perspective and love of God are compared to us. God’s love is so great that He gave us free will and yet will not tempt us but so desires for us to turn to Him and live out a life in relationship with our Heavenly Father. God’s not trying to set you up. God’s purpose is to give us a hope and a future! Jesus came that we would have life and life more abundantly! And as we read in James “for God cannot be tempted by [what is] evil, and He Himself tempts no one“ and also that when we are being tempted by the devil to turn from God and sin, we are “dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion).” And when we give in and sin, give into temptation, it draws us away from God and towards death.
So as dads, we need to love on our kids with God’s unconditional love. We need to be dads who are looking out for their best in all things we think, say, and do. We need to be dads who don’t try to trick them or trip them up but love them and raise them up in the way they should go and when they get older they won’t depart from them. Let’s live lives that show our dependence on God! Let’s live lives that show our love for them! Let’s live lives that help them walk out the rest of their lives leaning on and trust God, inviting Jesus into their lives to be their Lord and Savior. Let’s help them by being radical dads because we choose to live out our lives to glorify God!
Today’s devotional has been provided by Varsity Skateboarding Organization (more details can be found here: https://varsityskate.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)
- Is your love for your kid(s) like God’s love is? Nothing can ever take that love away? Distance or proximity to them doesn’t change that love? Their emotions and attitudes don’t change that love? We love them because they are our kid(s)!
- Are you looking out for your kid(s) so that they can experience the best parts of life? Are you looking out for their best interest even when they may or may not agree with you? Are you putting up healthy boundaries in order to help them grow and develop into the best version of themselves even though they may think you are trying to hold them back?
- Are you looking out for their best interest and trying to prevent them from falling into the temptations of life?
- Are you looking out for their wellbeing and safety even when they don’t see the danger or risk?
- Are you standing up for your kid(s) even when they think they really want something and stopping them when you not it isn’t the best for them? Especially if that want or temptation could lead to death?
- Seeing the parallels to our relationship with God?
- Seeing how God has the full view and full perspective and just because we want something or tempted to have or do something, He may try to stop us in order to keep us from dying.
- Have you ever found God trying to stop you from doing something in order to keep you from hurting yourself?
- God’s Word encourages us to avoid such things and calls them sin!
- Just like God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge, God speaks to us each day knowing the full context and perspective and so that thing we think we may want to do or want to have because everyone else is or it is the greatest life experience we could have (in our minds) and so looks to protect us from these things, it is a matter of if we will be obedient to it.
- Remember what we read above from Isaiah? God is wiser than we are! His perspective is complete!
- Remember what we read above from James? God knows that all sin leads to death! It might look good to us in the moment and may even feel good temporarily. But in the end if we let it ride and grow, it leads to death.
- So just like our Heavenly Father continues repeatedly to try and help keep us from stepping into the road to keep us from getting hit on the streets of life, let’s be fathers, let’s be the dads, that God created us to be and love our kids to that same level and with the same intensity.
- Let’s not allow sin to have its full effect! Let’s turn from it and turn back to God!
