Father’s Day is tomorrow. Forget the shirt, tie or socks gift. If you are blessed to have an earthly father, the best gift you can give him is your time. If you live close-by, visit him. If not, call him or better yet, make plans to visit him anyway. You will never regret the time you spend together.
Someday, Christ-followers will meet our Heavenly Father. That will be the greatest Father's Day of all! If you are a father, don’t ever underestimate the influence you have on your children and how your relationship with Jesus can make a lasting impression on them. 3John 1:4 -“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”
Fathers are their daughter's first love, and our Dad was our hero. He’s been with Jesus almost 8 years now but among many things we will always remember are his strong hands. Those same hands were there when I married my other hero and father to our three children. Proverbs 20:7 - “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” I pray our kids see their earthly father as I see mine.
This poem by Mary Fairchild focuses on her father’s strong hands to illustrate his character and express how much he has meant to her life. I hope this describes your earthly father, too, but if not, remember you have a Heavenly Father Who Loves you just as you are.
“Dad's hands were king-size and strong. With his hands, he built our home and fixed all the broken things. Dad's hands gave generously, served humbly, and loved mom tenderly, unselfishly, completely, unendingly. With his hand, Dad held me when I was small, steadied me when I stumbled, and guided me in the right direction. When I needed help, I could always count on Dad's hands. Sometimes Dad's hands corrected me, disciplined me, shielded me, rescued me. Dad's hands protected me. Dad's hand held mine when he walked me down the aisle. His hand gave me to my forever love, who, not surprisingly, is very much like Dad. Dad's hands were the instruments of his great big, rugged-tender heart. Dad's hands were strength. Dad's hands were love. With his hands he praised God. And he prayed to the Father with those big hands. Dad's hands. They were like Jesus' hands to me.” Deuteronomy 6:2, 5-7 – “That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life ... 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words ... shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children ..."
If you are a father, we encourage you to love God and teach your children and grandchildren to love Him too.
