Psalm 5 (NKJV)
Listen
to some thoughts about Fathers and Non-Fathers:
• Non-fathers
wear expensive Italian shoes. Fathers wear vinyl loafers made in China or crocs
bought at Disney World.
• Non-fathers
drive sports cars that hold turns. Fathers drive vans that hold kids.
• Non-fathers
fly to the Caribbean or Hawaii. Fathers drive to Disney World.
• Non-fathers
spend weekends taking in the theater and wine tasting. Fathers spend weekends
taking out the trash, eating at Ceci’s Pizza, and watching Sponge Bob.
• Non-fathers
eat seafood bisque. Fathers eat macaroni made with powdered cheese.
• Non-fathers
play tennis. Fathers play hide-n-seek and pat-a-cake.
• Non-fathers
live in the fast lane. Fathers live in a subdivision near a school, an
all-night grocery, an urgent care clinic. and a gas station with an air pump.
• Non-fathers
wear silk ties with subtle designer logos. Fathers wear what they got last
Father’s Day, something in a palm tree or a dinosaur, perhaps.
• Non-fathers
invest in precious metals. Fathers invest in clothes and shoes for bodies that
mature in six weeks.
But fathers would never have a single regret for the moments spent with their children.
We
know it’s not easy at times being a father. One cynic, speaking from his own
experience, noted that children go through four fascinating stages. First they
call you Da-Da. Then they call you Daddy. As they mature they call you Dad.
Finally they call you collect.
But
to all fathers and mothers there is a serious side – when they think of the
future of their children.
In the May 28, 1998, edition of USA
Today, the following appeared among the letters to the editor:
Will somebody help me save my son?
My son is two years old and is a
reflection of complete innocence. His vulnerability to this harsh, violent,
ignorant and uncaring world just rips my heart apart.
He knows nothing of the killing
within the schools that are supposed to prepare children for the world. He
knows nothing of the abuse that happens within the homes of children just his
age. As he plays with his toys, he is oblivious to the tragedies that occur
every day across the country.
And as he clutches his blanket,
sleeping soundly, dreaming of the mommy and daddy who love him, he has no idea
of the complete social and moral decay of our country.
Does anyone care anymore? Will
someone please, please help me save my son?—Edward
Moats, Belleair Beach, Florida.
Do you realize how desperately appropriate that letter is today? Even though no main stream media outlet would ever publish it and let the cat out of the bag at how scary the future world is becoming for our children.
Fatherhood and motherhood is serious
business in a world near crazy and getting nuttier each day. What can we do to
help our children grow? Listen to Psalm 5:
Give ear to my
words, O Lord, consider my
meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, for to You I
will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in
wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in
Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak
falsehood; the Lord abhors the
blood-thirsty and deceitful man.
But as for me, I
will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; in fear of You I will
worship toward Your holy temple. Lead me, O Lord,
in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my
face.
For there is no faithfulness in their
mouth; their inward part is
destruction; their throat is an
open tomb; they flatter with their tongue. Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let
them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their
transgressions, for they have rebelled against You.
But let all
those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You
defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.
For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with
favor. You will surround him as with
a shield.
While family devotions are
important, the most effective Christian witness is natural and spontaneous.
Children learn best when parents convey the Scriptures naturally and
frequently, “…when you sit in your house,
when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
(Deuteronomy 6: 7).
One of my professors from seminary, Robert
Webber, grew up in the mission field where his parents served the Africa Inland
Mission. He tells this story on himself:
As a brief furlough, the young
family settled in Montgomery, Pennsylvania, in a small home near a farm. Bob was
nine, and he loved blackberries. One day he grabbed a bucket and started
picking blackberries on nearby bushes. Without thinking, he strayed onto the
neighbor’s property and started picking berries.
Suddenly, the neighbor burst out the
front door, waving his fist. “Get out of my field!” he shouted. “And don’t let
me catch you on my property ever again! Do you understand me?”
Bob was terrified, and he ran to
tell his father. Mr. Webber said, “Give me that pail of blackberries. We’re
going to talk to that man.” The two marched across the yard, Bob thinking to
himself, “Good! My dad will tell him a thing or two!”
“Mr. Farmer,” said Bob’s dad. “I’m
sorry my son was on your property. Here, I want you to have these
blackberries.” The neighbor was completely disarmed. “Hey,” he said, “I’m sorry
I yelled at the boy. I don’t want the blackberries. I don’t even like
blackberries. You keep them. And you can pick all the berries you want from my
field.”
As they
walked back home, the father turned to Bob and said, “The Scripture says, ‘A
soft answer turns away wrath.’ Remember that, Bobby.”
Dr.
Webber tells his classes, “I’ve not always lived up to that Scripture, or to
the example of my father, but I’ve never forgotten those words or my dad’s
action that gave those words meaning.”
The witness of Christians and especially
Fathers are always on display, whether they realize it or want it or not. Their
actions speak louder than any words.
Houston
pastor John Bisango describes the time when his 5 year old daughter came to him
and asked for a doll house. John promptly nodded and promised to build her one.
He then he went back to reading his book.
A
short time later he glanced out the study window and saw her arms filled with
dishes, toys, and dolls, making trip after trip until she had a great pile of
playthings in the yard. He asked his wife what the girl was doing.
“Oh,
you promised to build her a doll house, and she believes you. She’s just
getting ready for it.” “You would have thought I’d been hit by an atom bomb,”
John later said. “I threw aside that book, raced to the lumber yard for
supplies, and quickly
built that little girl a doll house.
“Why
did I respond? Because I wanted to? No. Because she deserved it? No."
Her
daddy had given his word, and she believed it and acted upon it. When he saw her
faith, nothing could keep him from carrying out his word."
How much more will our Heavenly Father follow through?
The
author of Psalm 5 recognized the need for prayer and attention to details. He
honored God and his family. To me Psalm 5 is about being a father and following
through in life, and asking God to be your shield, strength, and inspiration.
That’s
how you teach your children – with equal parts scripture and example.
Teach them the grace of the promise of Jesus Christ and you may be leery of the future but not afraid of it. We live in the unchanging promises of God.
To be a
good father:
first Love God,
second, become a good example,
third, love the
mother of your children,
and fourth, respect and honor your children. Amen.
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