As I continue this journey of blogging about and for dads through daily devotionals I have been able to find, connect with the publishers, and get approval to share my thoughts and insights from reading them, I have found this dad devotional called The Daring Dad. The image that goes along with it is so telling as it shows the title as The DARE-ING Dad. I am excited to see what dares come out of this devotional that can help us be the dads God needs us to be. The introduction to the blog that captured my attention and drew me to reach out to the publisher was:
Being a dad is difficult. You have so much responsibility. So much to do. Many of us put being a dad on the back burner – until we find ourselves in a place we don’t want to be. I dare you to be a great dad.
The Daring Dad from Plans on Bible.com
Today’s devotional is connected to the verses from God’s Word found in:
- Psalm 103:10-14
- Luke 17:1-4
- Proverbs 28:13
- Luke 7:36-50
‘he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. ‘
Psalms 103:10-14
‘Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” ‘
Luke 17:1-4
‘Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. ‘
Proverbs 28:13
‘When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”’
Luke 7:36-50
Today’s verses from God’s Word are very powerful and speak to the heart of our Heavenly Father. It starts with grace – underserved favor – and continues with mercy – compassion and forgiveness.
Today’s verses from Psalm 103 speak to our Heaven Father doesn’t treat us like we deserve and or repay us according to our mistakes. We learn how His ways aren’t our ways but His ways are higher and better than our ways. God’s grace is greater than how high the heavens are above the earth! God’s mercy is greater than how far the east is from the west. God shows the heart of the Father by showing compassion to us as we should be doing as the dads. Let’s be the dads who turn to God, run to God, invite God into our situations, and praise Him as He deserves. As Romans 3:23-24 speaks, God’s grace is forgiveness! As 2 Timothy 1:9 speaks, God’s grace is undeserved and yet He gives it anyways! A Psalms 103:8 tells us, God’s grace is new every day! As 1 John 3:1-3 and Romans 8:15 tell us, God’s grace adopts us into His family! As John 14:6 speaks, God’s grace brings us closer to our Heavenly Father! As Romans 6:14 says, God’s grace allow us to live in true freedom! As we read in Titus 2:11, God’s grace isn’t just for a few or a select groups, God’s grace is open to everyone. God’s grace is a gift that is freely offered to us and it is up to us if we will accept it and receive and the move forward in it. God’s Word is equally clear as we ready about God’s mercy in 2 Peter 3:9, He is patient and not wanting anyone to perish, but He wants everyone to come around and turn back to Him in repentance. God’s Word speaks to God’s mercy in 2 Samuel 24:14 when David in the midst of everything He is going through and the options He is given chooses to put His life in God’s hand because He trusts God and His mercy! God’s Word speaks to us and how we are to be like God, let’s be the dads who clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. God’s Word continues in how we need to be the dads who bear with each other and forgive one another no matter the grievance, just as He has forgiven us. So before we move on today, let’s be the dads who confess our sins to God knowing and trusting in His faithfulness and justness so that He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Let’s be the dads who remove stumbling blocks rather than being them. Let’s be the dads who don’t carry around bitterness and frustration but instead choose to forgive! Forgiveness is the key to true freedom! Let’s be the dads who confess our sins to God so that we can receive His mercy! Let’s not forget or lose fact of how much God has given and forgiven us! Let’s not become proud or arrogant but instead walk and live in humility because we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus!
Today’s devotional has been provided by Stonecreek Church. (more details can be found http://www.stonecreek.church)
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)
Let’s be the dads who are humble before God and confess our sins, our mistakes, our disobedience and receive God’s grace and mercy through His forgiveness and accepting it!
- Ever self-analyze?
- How did your day go?
- How did your week go?
- How did your month go?
- How often did you live your life that resembled Jesus?
- How often did you live your life that didn’t resemble Jesus?
- How often did you see the results and feel solid?
- How often did you see the results and feel like a failure?
- When you look at what happened, how do you respond?
- Do you acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness?
- Do you try to hide it or hope it goes away or that nobody noticed or says anything?
- Ever considered what God’s Word says about grace and mercy?
- Ever considered how Jesus responds?
- Jesus doesn’t deal with us like the world would.
- Jesus doesn’t deal with us according to our wrong choices and mistakes.
- Let’s be the dads who go to Jesus humbly because of our wrong choices and mistakes and allow Him to cleanse us of our sins, removing them from us as far as the east is from the west.
- Let’s be the dads who go to Jesus humbly because of our wrong choices and mistakes and allow Him to show us compassion.
- Let’s be the dads who are humble enough to confess our sins when we make wrong choices or mistakes to those impacted.
- Let’s be the dads who are humble enough to take the risk that they may not forgive or respond like Jesus.
- Let’s be the dads who ask for forgiveness when we mess up.
- Today’s devotional closes with a DARE, are you ready to be the dad and take up this dare?
- ”I DARE YOU to admit to your kids and wife one thing you have gotten wrong and ask them to forgive you today. Forgiveness.”
