The Way of the Father: Lessons From My Dad, Truths About God – 5

As we close out the lessons and the truths, let’s hold tight to God and seek Him with all of our hearts. I found this new devotional from Michael W. Smith, published by K-Love that sounds like it will be a great thing to help us be the dads. Today’s devotional will help us to consider our perspective and see how God sees us and as such how to be the dads who live our lives with the same perspective towards our kids. Today’s devotional tells us how “Because of your relationship with Jesus, your Abba Father looks at you and says, “That’s my child!” God’s first thought is of you as His son or daughter, all from a heart of love.” Today’s devotional is “K-LOVE Books’ inaugural release from artist, actor, and author Michael W. Smith, The Way of the Father, offers this five-day study to encourage and inspire every Christ-follower in a personal journey of faith with the Father.” So let’s get into it and learn more about the way of our Father and the truths of God!

Today’s devotional gets us started with the following verses: Psalms 139:1-18.

‘You have searched me, Lord , and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord , know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.’

Psalms 139:1-18

God’s Word is so incredible and can meet us right here, right now, and speak to us the truths we need to hear. Let’s choose to make time to be with God each morning and not just be going through the motions of a routine or ritual but instead really dig into God’s Word and what it is saying to us right here, right now, this very moment. I know the same scripture has spoken to me over the years in different ways because of what was going on with life and in life. It was like a light turned on and I kept wondering how I had missed it before. God’s Word is alive! God’s Word is active! God’s Word is good for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. God’s Word is powerful like a two-edged sword it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. So today, let’s grab a hold of what God’s Word says to us through Psalms 139.

Let’s be the dads who allow God to search our hearts and know us! Let’s be the dads who are in such a relationship with God that He sits with us and gets up and goes with us every moment of every day! Let’s be the dads who are so connected to God that He knows us and what we are up to when we are asleep and awake, so familiar with our ways! Let’s be the dads who lean in and trust in God so much that He knows before the words come off our lips what we are thinking and about to say! Let’s be the dads who are walking so close to God that He is our protection in front of and behind us, while leading and guiding our steps! Let’s be the dads who continue to dig into God’s Word so these truths are never forgotten because they are so wonderful and amazing! Let’s be the dads who remember that God is with us everywhere we go, His Spirit is with us as our counselor and our guide! Let’s be the dads who cling to God rather than trying to escape from His presence (which is impossible to do)! Let’s be the dads who only go where God is and where God wants us to go! Let’s not try to go it our own way but instead go it God’s way, being led by the Spirit, who is with us every step of the way! Let’s be the dads who are guided by the hand of God! Let’s be the dads who are held in God’s right hand! Let’s be the dads who choose to walk in the light rather than the darkness! Let’s be the dads who choose to let our lights shine into this dark world! Let’s be the dads who remember that God created each of us on purpose, with purpose, and for a purpose and choose to walk in it! Let’s be the dads who will seek out our purpose when we aren’t sure or clear of what it is and ask God for His wisdom and discernment! Let’s be the dads who praise God for having fearfully and wonderfully made us! Let’s be the dads who praise the handiwork of God! Let’s be the dads who cling to the reality that God knit us in our mother’s womb! Let’s be the dads who realize God knew us even before we were born! Let’s be the dads who grab onto the reality that God has ordained all the days of our lives! Let’s be the dads who choose to have our name written in the book of life! Let’s be the dads who consider God’s thoughts precious! Let’s be the dads who are in awe and wonder of the vastness of them all! Let’s be the dads who continue to seek God, study His Word, and grab hold of His lessons, truths, and promises for they are too many to count! Let’s be the dads who choose today to walk out the rest of our lives with God so that we can spend eternity with Him through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Today’s devotional has been provided by K-LOVE books (more details can be found here: About The Publisher)

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)

For more information, please visit https://www.klove.com/books.

To learn more about The Way of the Father: Lessons from my Dad, Truths about God, visit klove.com/books. 

Take-Aways from Today’s Devotional

• You realize you are uniquely made right? Check out your fingertips and see your unique fingerprints!
• Ever noticed how unlike science or man made announcements, God’s Word never conflicts and never changes?
• Let’s be the dads who trust in God! Let’s be the dads whose trust in God is greater than our trust in man!
• Today’s devotional speaks to the human side when it shares:
  • “Have you ever wondered why you have fingerprints? Over the years, scientists have released numerous research reports and studies on this mystery of our anatomy, yet they all conflict or even refute one another. But the one truth that science does agree on is that no two sets have ever been alike. No two people on the earth have ever had the same fingerprints. There has never been a duplicate set found among the millions upon millions of people who have lived on this planet. How could science ever explain that fact? Especially if one’s origin belief is evolution or random chance?“
• Let’s be the dads who believe and trust that God created each of us uniquely and purposefully!
• Let’s be the dads who believe and trust that God intentially created each of us with the features and skills we have!
• Let’s be the dads who believe and trust that God made us with His own hands!
• Let’s be the dads who answer God’s calling on our lives and live it to the full so that we can thrive for His glory!
• Today’s devotional speaks to our creation in an incredible way:
  • “The only explanation that solves the enigma of fingerprints is the intentional creation of life from a loving Father. The belief that He uniquely made only one of you. The old saying, “When God made you, He broke the mold,” is partially true. He did make you, but there is no mold because you are an original! No one has ever existed or will with your looks, personality, gifting, skills, and spirit. That means no one else can fill your place! No one can ever fulfill your life’s mission but you!“
• Let’s be the dads who realize how much God cares for us and for those we are to be the husbands, the fathers, and the friends to in this world.
• Let’s be the dads who realize how much God created us to be unique on purpose for the specific and special life mission He purposed for us!
• Let’s be the dads God created us to be!
• Let’s be the dads God purposed for us to be!
• Let’s be the dads God is calling us to be!
• Today’s devotional speaks this powerful truth about our creation and leaves us with some questions:
  • “What if, like the painter’s final brush strokes on the canvas, your Father completed you with His customized signature? What if your Abba Father gave you your fingerprints simply to provide clear evidence of the great detail and care He took in your creation?“
• Let’s be the dads who find our approval in God!
• Let’s be the dads who find our identity in God!
• This world tries to confuse things and get us off course, so let’s be the dads who turn back and lean in on God for His approval and our identity!
• Today’s devotional gives us something to ponder and grab hold of when it says:
  • “Some of our biggest struggles throughout life center around two factors: identity and approval. The concept of random chance offers no unique identity. An unknown origin leaves no answers, only questions. Such a belief leaves approval up to everyone and no one at the same time, which is our current state where the masses seek approval from total strangers online.“
  • “If you believe you have been created by a loving and intentional Father, your identity can be found in a relationship with Him through Christ. By discovering who you are in Him and accepting His approval, you can be who you were made to be by the One who made you!“
• So let’s grab a hold of the closing of this 5 day devotional that was powerfully put together by the incredible worship leader Michael W. Smith and look ahead to be able to make today count!
  • “In these five days, has your perception of God as Father changed?“
  • “How do you better understand how He feels about you?“
  • “Take a few minutes to write down what you have to come to know about the way of your Father.“