Wife

 

The Book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom written by King Solomon. At the conclusion of this book, Solomon recounts the advice that his own mother gave him.

His mother told him that one of the most important decisions he would make would be his choice of the woman who would become his wife, and the eventual mother of his children. So important a role does a wife and mother play in a household, even the household of a king, that his choice would make the difference between success and failure, between an everlasting godly legacy, or a descent into historical oblivion, between honor and dishonor.

There is a great depth to the description in chapter 31 of the woman that the king, or any man, should marry.

First in the description is that the woman should be virtuous (v. 10). In Hebrew, the word used here is different from what we might think. It means strength and might, especially in a warlike way. It means to be valiant and to show oneself strong. The root meaning includes travailing, writhing, to bring forth, to wait longingly. Her warfare is to bring something forth. The man has to "find" this woman. It means he has to detect or recognize her, discern her. Her price, meaning betrothal or marriage price, because she is so valuable, it is greater than the rarest gem on earth-the ruby. The word for "ruby" also signifies a corner, or turning point. Finding this woman is so spiritually powerful, that it becomes a turning point in the man's life.

Her husband's heart can safely trust in her (v. 11). Her spiritual quality is such that she affects her husband's inner most mind, will, understanding, and seat of courage. He becomes "enheartened". His soul is productive enough "to make cakes". He becomes so inwardly confident and hopeful because of her presence in his life, that he fears nothing. He neither feels he has to offer himself as spoil, nor spoil others. She will do (deal bountifully, reward, benefit) him good, and not evil all the days of her life (v. 12).

She seeks wool and flax (v. 13), which means that she inquires into and studies the makings of white garments (spiritual righteousness), even to the individual threads of which they are composed. Not only does she study it, but she puts these things into practice. She works (fashions, produces, puts in order) willingly (with delight) with her hands (open hands, or palms, of humble strength). This wife and mother does not just look to dress herself, but her whole household, in righteousness.

Spiritually, she is like a conveyance that goes back and forth bringing spiritual bread: waging war, doing battle, overcoming, prevailing, and bringing that bread from and to distant places (v. 14). She stands, establishes, and fulfills, even in gloom and adversity, and consecrates and devotes prey, and spoil torn in pieces for all in her household, including future descendants. She establishes the statutes and decrees of the law to the younger members and servants (v. 15).

She meditates and envisions wide spiritual places, an expansive future, and lays hold of these visions and establishes them for her progeny. The fruit that she establishes from these meditations is noble and worthy of kings (v. 16).
This wife surrounds her waist and back (the weakest parts of the body) with prevailing strength and boldness, and with courageous strength, with military force, she produces and sows spiritual seed. She is pregnant with it (v. 17). She tastes (experiences) and understands her value in pleasing and producing beneficial results, and therefore, her light and glistening shine are not extinguished by adversity (v. 18). She is not idle. With a powerful stretched out hand, she sows rightness, direction, success, and advantage, and with the other open, humble hand, she seizes, impacts and lays hold of the environs or district around her (v. 19). She spreads and scatters with her humble hand to the poor, and wretched, and stretches out and looses her hand of power and strength to the oppressed, and abused in need of God's deliverance (v. 20).
This wife is not terrified of the idea of white corpses or linens of the slain regarding her household as others are, because her household is arrayed with the bright, shining crimson (of the Blood). She creates (and as a wife, IS) larger coverings that spread out, containing many colors from fine alabaster white to purple and blue tinged with red. These colors of the coverings reflect her works and character of strength, honor, splendor, adorned with glorified majesty that she rejoices in now, and to the uttermost last of times (v. 21, 22, 25).
Her husband is covered with respect. He has become known at the entrance of the city, also at the entrance of the temple, and the temple in heaven. Because of this respect, he dwells (as in a marriage dwelling) in the place of the older men who have authority and governing power over the earth and its inhabitants, over the land of the living (v. 23).
In this wife's mouth is the wisdom that opens graves, commandments that dash them to pieces. Her language is from the Word of God, the instruction and teaching of scripture with a spirit of loving kindness, faithfulness, favor, beauty, goodness and even pity. She is diligent to keep watch closely over her household-their ways, doings, and walk. Even as she keeps watch over them, she shines and looks up. She does not slack in her vigilance (v. 26-27). Because of this diligence, her children of several generations become powerful, set, fixed, established, fulfilled, and her husband (lord) praises her ecstatically. (v. 28).
This was a long entry, but so important regarding the spiritual value of a Godly woman, not only to her own household, but to all the vicinity around her. She is powerful in wisdom and influence, while remaining humble in her strength.
Jesus dealt amazingly with women as the Spirit directed Him, often confounding and offending others, including His own disciples, by so doing. He revealed powerful truths to women, and even lost (on purpose) an argument with a woman, as she contended that even a Gentile could receive healing from the Messiah to Israel (Mt. 15:22-28). Jesus welcomed women engaging with Him in His ministry, and He even positioned Himself purposefully to encounter them, changing their lives, and the lives in their community (Jn. 4:5-30). Jesus even told one woman to come out of the kitchen!! (Lk. 10:38-42).
However, this chapter of Proverbs not only speaks about an individual woman and wife, but about a wife of a king. We, collectively, are the wife of the King of Kings, the Bride of Christ. This chapter of Proverbs is the spiritual standard for all of us.

Our Father has prepared a bride for His Son, the King.

"A Mother's Prayer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcuMG_-159U



 

 

 

 

 

Babes

The fact that children are being murdered, both before and after birth, is nothing new in history. In the headlines, there is a new discovery of one hundred plus mummified remains found in Peru of children who were sacrificed in a ritual to a false god. They all suffered a similar wound, a cutting to the chest. It is supposed that this wound was made to extract the hearts of the children, while they were still alive. The terror of their last living moments at the hands of adults who should have treasured and protected them, are still engraved upon their faces (see article) . We have heard of this ancient practice in other nations, usually in worship to a sun god.
Even in Israel, centuries ago, people threw their children into fires to worship and sacrifice to the false god, Ba'al. This appalled the LORD. The whole land became so polluted from the practice, that God had to remove the people into exile for seventy years in order to cleanse the land from the foulness of the abomination (see 2 Kings 21:10-16).
We shake our heads at the vileness and ignorance represented by these slaughters of history, but we have our own version of it today. We are still offering these horrific sacrifices to these same foul demonic gods, but we call it by another name, and we think we are accomplishing a "good" with it. We have even made it the law of the land. We have called it a liberty and a right. However, at the founding of our nation, liberties and rights were defined as those "endowed by their Creator", in the Declaration of Independence. These rights guaranteed to us and to all men are sacred and unalienable because of their divine origin*. Liberties, these foundational documents contend, cannot be given by a king or a Parliament, but are a result of an impartation from the Divine Creator, to His created being, which carries His own image: man. This nation, that is supposed to be a beacon of this divinely sourced liberty to the world, has embraced and legitimatized one of the darkest and most evil practices that the world has ever known, by associating it with the same rights of divine origin that all men have received from God. We, like those ancient peoples, not only do not acknowledge the divine source and force of a life, and the resulting divine liberty belonging to that life, but we also do not know the God Who created both, Who gave up a portion of Himself, breath, body and blood, so that we could live.
Perhaps, in part, in order to address this continual evil in the hearts and practices of man, God made very clear in His Word, the truth of the divine nature of life, including its beginnings, and the truth of His continuing presence in the life of all men. As we make the conscious choice to be ignorant of this vital truth, we do a great harm to ourselves, as we will see.
Jesus repeatedly taught and warned regarding the treasuring of children:
"Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And He laid His hands on them and departed from there."   Mt. 19:13-15, Mk. 10:13-16, Lk. 18:14-17
Jesus directly defines the kingdom of heaven with children. Why would He do this? He gives us another glimpse:
"Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me...Woe to the world because of offenses (enticements to sin)! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!...Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven, their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."   Mt. 18:7, 10
The child in our midst is the most humble being on earth. The defenseless child humbly places himself, with great trust, in the hands of his father. The child humbly believes what his father tells and teaches him. This same spirit is to be desired by each of us concerning our heavenly Father. For this reason, the mightiest angels in heaven, the ones who are closest to God, and look upon His face, are given charge over these humble, submitted spirits. These children are to be our teachers in the spiritual art of complete love, trust, and humility before our Father. Because of this humility of the child, as we saw above, the greatest power is assigned to them:
"But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He (Jesus) did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna (Save us) to the Son of David!" they were indignant, and said to Him, "Do You hear what they are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise?"   Mt. 21:15-16
First of all, these children had correctly identified with loud cries, Jesus as the Messiah. Secondly, if we look at the Psalm that Jesus cites to the most scripturally educated men of Israel, we will see an amazing truth:
"O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens! Out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants You have ordained (yacad- be founded, establish, begin, appoint, sit in conclave and consult) strength (oz- power, might, boldness, of a loud voice, the power joined to majesty, spendor, and glory), because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger."  Ps. 8:1-2
In the sounds from children's mouths, God has placed the power by which He silences the most hateful and vengeful spiritual enemies of God and man. No wonder those demons have always demanded the destruction of children, and we are rebellious enough to agree to it. Children are in possession of a most powerful spiritual weapon. We see it again here:
"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior (gibuwr- might and strength of God), so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver (arrow case) full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate."   Ps. 127:3-5
This verse tells us that children are the possession of the LORD, yet man may borrow them, or have temporary custody of them. They are the arrows in the hand of the powerful God, that man is allowed to keep in his own arrow case. These powerful arrows, children, bring the "dabar" to the enemies, both natural, and spiritual, both personal and national. As we destroy our children, we destroy one of the greatest benefits that God has given for our protection and defense.
We destroy these possessions of God, these arrows of His strength, lent to us for our benefit before they are born, rationalizing to ourselves that they are not alive, or human until after birth. Again, God would correct our ignorance through His Word. David, one of the great warriors, was shown his relationship with God while still in the womb, and before:
"For You formed my inward parts; You covered (wove, like an embroidery of assorted colors) me in my mother's womb. I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame (otsem- bones, power, might, great, to bind up) was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret (protected shelter, disguise), and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts (rt- lowly, humble) of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!"   Ps. 139:13-17
Not only is the divine beginning of a life a wonder that begins well before birth, but this wonder also reveals the nature of God to us. What we consider "disposable" according to our laws, has been revealed to David as being the result of the very thoughts and power of God.
To His prophet, Jeremiah, whom God would use to raise up and destroy kingdoms:
Then the word of the LORD came to me saying: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah, is amazed at this calling as he says to the LORD, "Ah, LORD God! Behold, I cannot speak for I am a youth. The LORD reveals the power with which He has endowed Jeremiah, even though a youth, the power of the arrow, the "dabar" to be spoken to the enemies in the gates:
...Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant."   Jer. 1:5, 9-10
Let's not kill our children, whether born or unborn, and let us not even be consenting to the idea. We all have reason to repent, to turn, and to humbly receive God's truth and merciful benefit regarding the children He has lovingly and wondrously entrusted to us.

Our Father has ordained a life even before the womb.

*Rights of Divine origin of the Declaration of Independence:
http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/AmericanIdeal/yardstick/pr3.html

Out of the mouths of babes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH6msTsClUs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfDkQvnEJ0o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJAqoDRX33I

Impartation

There are many learning environments, but not all learning is the same. Not all teaching is the same either. There is a special learning experience that goes beyond teaching, and into something more: impartation. It goes beyond the sharing of information, and involves a giving of an actual portion of one's self that contains experiential knowledge. This is done, especially, within the relationship between parent and child.
In scripture, fatherhood and sonship hold tremendous importance. Individuals are identified by who their father and grandfather were. Even in the Hebrew names given in the mentions of fathers and grandfathers, we can see the spiritual impartation that has passed through the generations. For example, the prophet Jeremiah's name means "whom Jehovah has appointed". His father is listed as Helkiah, meaning "my portion is Jehovah".
We see a great example of the impartation of experiential knowledge of God from parent to child in the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs is recognized as a book of Godly wisdom, written by King Solomon, whose reputation throughout history is one of great wisdom. The first thing Solomon does is identify himself as a son, in this case, the son of David:
"The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel..."  Prov, 1:1
Solomon is also specifically imparting his experience of God to his son:
"My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother;  
                                                                                                    Prov.1: 8
"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding....then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God."  Prov. 2:1-5 (excerpt)
As we can see from the verses above, the impartation comes not only from the father, but from the mother as well. Chapter 31 of Proverbs, for example, is an impartation to Solomon from his mother. 
Solomon's intent was to pass down to his son what he had learned from his father and mother, and from his own experiences with God. In amazing revelation, he is imparting to his son that wisdom is not a quality or thing, but it is a person, and this person is to be found above everything else:
"Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom..."  Prov. 4:7
So great is the impartation from Solomon to his son (and consequently to all of us), that the Person of Wisdom, actually begins to speak directly to us, revealing, or imparting truths from eternity (Prov. 8:12-36). Wisdom tells us here, "...whoever finds me finds life"
(v. 35). Wisdom imparts all of these things to us in this chapter, referring to us as "my children" (v. 32 NKJV).
This is also how God imparts to us: as a Father to His son, or child. The power of it is not just a teaching of truth, but a giving of a part of the Father to us, His children. Jesus described the impartation this way:
"For I have given to them the words which You have given to Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You...all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them...Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as we are...You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us...I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one..."   Jn. 17:8-23 (excerpt)
The words that Jesus gave to His disciples, and to us, as we read in the above verses, were not just a teaching, but an impartation from Him, and from His Father within Him, a giving of Himself, even as His Father gave to Jesus from Himself.
The Apostle Paul wanted to make clear to us that we are sons, and receive impartation from our heavenly Father as sons:
"And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."  Gal. 4:6-7
The LORD commands parents to teach their children His precepts:
"You shall teach (exercise in, train diligently and skilfully) them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days, and the days of your children may be multiplied..."   Deut. 11:19-21 (excerpt)
As these verses tell us, impartation of Godly knowledge from parent to child is so powerful that it can extend both the parent's and child's life. One of His great commandments tells us to "honor your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you" (Ex. 20:12). The word "Honor" used here is the Hebrew word kabad, which is the root word of kabode, meaning the awesome glory and honor that belong to God. He has imparted His own glory to fathers and mothers. Fathers and mothers, in turn, impart this same glory knowledge of God to their children. Fatherhood and motherhood is more than just a biological process, but a spiritual impartation of the experiential knowledge of God that can extend life and purpose.
We can see the great difference between teaching and impartation. We can also understand the importance of sharing, or imparting, our experiential Godly knowledge with our children. It becomes easy to see why the forces of evil have worked so hard to destroy relationships between parents and children, especially between fathers and children, in families today. "Fatherhood" has become marginalized, and this started generations ago. Our focus should not be only about spending "quality time" with our children and grandchildren, but about impartation, which has become a forgotten practice in many households. We can see the cumulative effects of this neglect in our society today. I am going to have to do much better in this with my family than I am doing now.
Our children's Godly education at church, synagogue, and some schools is important in every way, but impartation is a powerful and essential spiritual truth that takes place in the home between both parents and their children, and between grandparents and their grandchildren. Many "old timers", for example, tell of the powerful experience of learning to pray or praise from their grandmothers. I know someone who has continually had his son with him, even from an early age, when he has followed the leading of the Holy Spirit on excursions of intercession and ministry. He has imparted a special experiential knowledge of God to his son, and, hopefully, his son, following this example, will impart these things to his own children when they are born. Also, let us not be neglectful- impartation is not only to sons. We have these examples to show us that Jesus imparted His great experiential knowledge to women as well:
"...whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."  Jn. 4:14
"But the hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  Jn. 4:23-24
"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"   Jn. 11:25-26
Impartation from parent to child is such a vital spiritual precept, that God prophesies that He will send an earthshaking miracle in order to restore it:
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."  Mal. 4:5-6
Godly impartation between parent and child can save the whole earth from being cursed!
God's people can no longer afford to ignore this powerful provision that God has made for our children, and our land.

Our Father does not just teach, but imparts to His children.

"Ancient Words"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vmTkXNpwzs

"Days of Elijah" (American Marines singing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjZ_IlP9c5A

Scientific Study-Gazing into child's eyes while speaking synchronizes both brain waves:
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/growth-curve/staring-baby-eyes-brain-waves-sync

Teaching

I realized a wonderful moment with the word of God recently. It is not a major teaching, or a deep concept, but when I saw it, the beauty, love, and wisdom of it brought tears to my eyes, and I marveled that I had not realized the principle long before.
The LORD God speaks beautifully, and with great wisdom, about teaching our children about Him, and about His word.
From Deut. 11:18-21 He commands us:
"Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
...that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth."

Our heavenly Father is giving us the perfect way to teach our children about Him. It is a simple way. It is a way that is natural, spiritual, and understands the way children learn.
After all, not many of us can sit for an hour or more, and take in all someone is telling us. But the Father tells us that learning is more effectively done a little at a time:
"Whom will He teach knowledge? And whom will He make to understand the message?...
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little."                Isa. 28:9-10

According to Deut. 11, above, the perfect opportunities to teach children about the LORD, are found in small everyday activities that we all share as families. Even the most common activities can be used to tell our children something about the LORD, and His word. I'm sure if I just give a few examples, many more will come to your mind.
When we wake up in the morning, we can tell our children that the LORD's mercies are new every morning. So if something went wrong yesterday, or if we made a mistake, or did something to hurt someone else, we can be sure that the LORD is waiting to give us a new start. We can tell them that if we ask the LORD to forgive us, He is faithful to do so. There are new gifts and mercies appointed to our lives every day.
When we sit down to eat, we can tell our children how the LORD miraculously supplied His people with manna from heaven, when they were in a place where there was no food. We can tell them that while we enjoy bread to eat, Jesus is our Bread of Life. He feeds us life, He sustains our lives more than natural food does.
When we enter our house, we can tell our children how Jesus told us that in His Father's house, there are many mansions, and how Jesus has prepared a place for us in that awesome house. We can tell our children how King David said in the Psalms "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."
When we walk somewhere with our children, we can tell them how Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life."
When we just sit down together, we can use that as an opportunity to tell the children how Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and we are seated there with Him, even while we are seated here on the earth.
I'm sure many more examples are coming to your mind of how we can use simple daily opportunities to teach our children about the LORD.
The results of teaching our children according to Deut. 11, is like the days of the heavens above the earth!
How simple, but how wise, and brilliant He is in telling us this. How much easier it is for a child to learn the ways of God by hearing some gem of truth every day, from everyday life.

Our Father wants us to teach our children about Him.

"Jesus Loves Me"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JxCgo6iPrg

"Teach Me Your Ways"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfTTU5w8Vb4

Fatherhood

 


As Father's Day approaches, I could tell you many things about my father. I could tell you that his name was Edward. I could tell you the date he was born, and the date he died. I could tell you funny stories, and not so funny stories about him. I could tell you some of the things that were important to him, and some of the things he enjoyed doing for fun.
When we think of Father's Day, we think of our fathers here on earth. Hopefully, we remember them with admiration for how hard they work and sacrifice to provide for, and care for, their families. Some people may have less positive memories and thoughts of their fathers. The relationship between father and child can be very difficult sometimes for both parties. Some fathers' hearts may be full of regrets. Some children's hearts may be full of hurts or disappointments. There seem to be many things that sometimes try to come between the father and child relationship. These things can also carry over into our spiritual relationship with our Father, God.
In Biblical times, as well, fatherhood was mostly associated with earthly fathers. Family histories, or geneologies, were kept of all generations of fathers, even back to the time of Abraham, and before him back to Adam. When Jesus was teaching the people, He would also talk about fathers. The people around Him declared, "Abraham is our father" (John 8:39). And proud they were of that fact. Because they were descendants of Abraham, they were a covenant people, with an inheritance from God. However, Jesus was telling them about their heavenly Father.
The people knew about God. They worshipped Him. They feared Him. But Jesus wanted to introduce them to their Father, the Father that He knew and loved so much. The Father Who loved Jesus in return. Jesus spoke of God as "My Father". Man did not know God in that manner. Even today, there are religious people who reject the truth of God as a Father to them. Religion separates us from our Father. God has always desired a father-child relationship with us, rather than a religious relationship:
Therefore the LORD said:
"Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught
by the commandment of men.
Therefore behold,
I will again to a marvelous work
Among this people..."
                              Isa. 29:13-14


It has always been the LORD's desire to be a Father to us, even from the beginning. Adam, from whom we all descended, is referred to not just as a creation of God, but as "the son of God", in Luke 3:38. It was man who rejected God as Father, not the other way around. The LORD says,
"I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good..."
                            Isa. 65:2

How sad it must be to a father, whether earthly or heavenly, to stretch out his hands to his child, a child for whom he would give his own life, and be rejected. Yet our Father promised in
Isa. 29, that regardless of our rejection of Him, He would yet do a marvelous work among us. He has provided the way for us to come back to Him as our Father. He has opened His arms, and hands to us, always waiting, always ready to receive us back into His love.
Jesus tells a story about a son, who had rejected his father's home, and his father's care, and left. The son, defeated by the harshness of life, decides to return home to his father, even if his father will only let him work as a servant. But the father's heart is revealed in Luke 15:20:
"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off,  his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him."
The father was thrilled to see his son coming home, and had been watching for him. Our Father in heaven is watching for us to come home also. He wants to run to us and hug and kiss us in great joy.
This Father's Day, let us not only honor our earthly fathers, but let's also use the opportunity to return to the house of our heavenly Father, who waits for us with a heart full of compassion.
The LORD is our Father.

"The Prodigal"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyVlF24u5dY


"Draw Me Nearer"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LZfEcIxZgI