Father’s day came and many of you got to celebrate your fathers while others didn’t. Maybe you didn’t celebrate because your dad passed away; maybe he’s in a different country, maybe he’s around but not fulfilling his fatherly role, or maybe you just don’t know him. This means missing out on your father’s love, and that’s pretty hard! If your heart is aching because you are missing out on your father’s love, God sees and knows how much your heart hurts, and His heart hurts too. God wants to be a father to those who may be fatherless so that you can experience His true love for you.
God gave us earthly fathers to lead and guide us, to instruct and train us in His ways, to provide stability, to provide physical and material needs, to protect us from harm, to provide comfort, and to love and care for us. Unfortunately, because of the fall of humanity, many of our father’s don’t know how to effectively carry out their role. Maybe they too have not been fathered well, and so they can only do what they know. God is the Father of the fatherless (Psalm 68:5). He is interested in those of you who have experienced the pain of abandonment by your earthly father. Furthermore, the Lord longs to adopt all those who’ve experienced the pain of an absent father. This pain is very real but you can forgive and experience God’s healing.
Healing is possible because I know of so many stories of forgiveness, healing and reconciliation. I know the pain of life hurts, and its wounds sometimes go deep down. Even so, there’s no wound that God cannot heal. Today you can experience healing and you can experience God as Father. You can have a warm, affectionate, personal relationship with Him that goes far beyond just acknowledging Him as the One who created you and who gives you beneficial rules to make your lives happy and complete. You can enjoy the special connection and love only a father and his children can enjoy. You are not just a servant having a master, but a daughter who has a Father.
So many wounds are caused by earthly fathers who weren’t taught how to love. These hurts can colour our concept of God and influence our view of Him, but let me put it to you, God is not at all like earthly fathers. As you come to know Him [through Jesus Christ] for who He really is – your heavenly Father for whom no pain or hurt is too great or too insignificant – you will experience the healing power of His love.
I pray that God would heal your heart and fill that empty space in your life. I pray that He would heal all those wounds that are hindering you from fully enjoying your relationship with Him. Our world is full of people with these invisible wounds, many resulting from childhood, but many also inflicted by the pressures and problems of modern life. God, your heavenly Father desires to heal you so that He can enjoy sweet fellowship with you.
Questions for Reflection:
- Have you experienced God as Father? If not, what is hindering you from experiencing Him as Father?
- How has your relationship with your earthly father coloured your concept of God?
- Are you in need of healing? If so, acknowledge your need for healing, confess your negative emotions to God, forgive your father, receive forgiveness from God, and receive his love.
If you need prayer, don’t be afraid to leave us a message in the comments or send us an email.
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Angelisa is a Jesus enthusiast, Worship leader & Christian youth leader. She considers herself to be the old-fashioned type of girl who loves spicy food and belly bottom laughter. Among her passions are singing, working with children, and encouraging others.