A Father to the fatherless...

A Father to the fatherless …

“Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds — his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Psalm 68:4-5

Do you find yourself needing to get a picture of just how BIG your Daddy is? Sometimes I find that I do. And He will gently nudge and remind me little bits and pieces of just who it is that I can rely upon. Bit by bit as He speaks to my heart and as I see more of a picture of Him portrayed in His Word I really do begin to understand. Once in awhile, I get a much needed “booster shot". I am sure that we can all relate to this at one time or another.

My Daughter, My Son, who is your Father? Is His arm too short that it can’t reach? My love for you is boundless, limitless. All things work together for good. Know that with security. Be not dismayed or discouraged.

Isaiah 59:1 reminds us with rhetorical statements that the Lord’s arm is not too short so that it cannot save nor his ear heavy so that it cannot hear.

Introducing Your Heavenly Father
God is not distant and angry as many of the renaissance paintings portrayed Him, but is loving, kind and gentle. In fact, He is the nicest person in the universe.

God Has Been Misrepresented To Us
Over the centuries there have been many misconceptions about God and His true nature. He has been misrepresented to us by legalistic religious leaders and angry earthly fathers who have, by their lifestyles, distorted His true image.

God is Love
The bible says that God is love, pure love. And He wants to lavish His love on you. He is not looking for more servants to add to His Kingdom but more children to fill His house. He wants to be in relationship with you, not because you deserve it but just because He made you, and is "head over heels" in love with you. It is our hope that after visiting this website, you might have a better understanding of His heart for you.

God's Original Intent
It was God's original plan in the Garden of Eden that Adam and Eve would live all the days of their lives in the presence of a loving Father, and would in turn reflect His love to their children. It was the Father's hope that each generation would grow up in the light of His love never knowing a day of rejection or pain.

Love Cannot Be Forced
However, love is not something that can be forced so God gave Adam and Eve the privilege of a free will. They had the freedom to trust God and stay in the garden or disobey Him and leave. In Genesis we read that the latter happened and as a result of their choice to become independent, they became separated from God.

Broken Relationships
As a result of Adam and Eve's actions, a new deadly disease called 'sin' infected humanity. The world that God originally intended to be perfect and full of love, was now wrought with pain and suffering because of the consequences of sin. Hurting people tend to hurt others, which is a legacy that has been passed on from generation to generation.

Understanding Our Need For Love
Since God created us for love, we are born with a great expectation to be loved and accepted. It is a scientific fact that babies who are not shown loving touch in the first few months of their lives can be physically and emotionally affected for the rest of their lives.

We All Have A Love Deficit
Unfortunately our parents could only express the love that they had first received from their parents. As a result, many of us have grown up with love deficits in our hearts. While we may know we are missing something, we might not be able to identify the emptiness that resides in the deepest part of our being.

Filling The Void
All we know is that we need to try and fill the emptiness somehow. Some try to fill this void in relationships, others in performance and success. And others seek to dull the emptiness with addictions. No matter what we do, if we do not encounter the real thing, we will always be left with a feeling of emptiness and unfulfillment.

Having A Personal Relationship With God
There is only one place where we will find the true love and acceptance that we are looking for and that is in a personal relationship with God. We were all born with a God sized "hole in our soul" that can only be filled by God Himself. Many of us have tried to fill this void with other things, but it is like putting a square peg in a round hole...it just doesn't fit.

The Good News
The good news is that God wants to be in a relationship with us more than we want to be in a relationship with Him. The One who knew us before we were conceived (Jeremiah 1:4) and knit us together in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13) wants to be our Father. While we are His offspring by creation, His desire is that we might become His children through redemption.

Finding Our Way Home
While we were still estranged, God the Father made a way for us to come home by sending His only son, Jesus Christ, to earth two thousand years ago to take care of the "sin" issue that had kept us separated. In obedience to His Father, Jesus bore upon Himself the weight of our sin, nailing it to the cross so that we could be born into His wonderful family.

Jesus Is The Way To The Father
His resurrection from the dead signalled the victory that would allow many sons and daughters to come into glory! In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me". Our access to the Father is through Jesus alone. His sacrifice was the one and only price that could be paid for our redemption and restoration into the family of His wonderful Father. If we receive God's gift of His Son Jesus Christ, we receive the right to become children of God!

Would You Like To Receive This Gift?
If you would like to accept this gift (eternal life in relationship with God), Jesus Christ has secured it for you. All you need to do is to tell God that you want to be saved. You are saved by believing, and the words below might help you express your thoughts to God. It's not these exact words that will save you, but the attitude of your heart towards God.

A prayer to accept or reaffirm your
relationship with Jesus Christ:
Father, I'm coming home. Please make me your child. I turn from my sin. I accept your forgiveness made possible through Jesus Christ by his death and resurrection. I place my faith and trust in Jesus alone. I receive him as my Savior and Lord. I want to follow and serve you. Let today be the beginning of my new journey as your child and a member of your family. Thank you for making a way for me to come home. In Jesus name I pray Amen.

Your New Relationship With God
As you begin your new life as God's child, you will have the privilege of getting to know Him as your Father. You are now part of His incredible family! By faith in Jesus Christ, you can be assured of the following truths...

1. You Are God's Child - John 1:12-13

2. God Loves You - 1 John 3:1

3. You Have the Assurance Of Eternal Life - John 3:16

4. He Put His Holy Spirit In You - 2 Corinthians 1:21-21

5. You Can Talk Directly To God - Matthew 7:7-11

6. Nothing Will Ever Separate You from His Love - Romans 8:38

Look up these passages and read them for yourself and then never let a day go by that you do not spend time in His Word and fellowship with your Eternal Heavenly Father! If you want to discuss this further E-Mail me at steve@radioshine.org.