Faithful Fathers

A three-year-old went with her daddy to see a litter of kittens. Back home she breathlessly informed her mother, “There were two boy kittens and three girl kittens.” Her mother asked how she knew this. “Daddy picked them up and looked underneath”, she told her, and added, “I know I can’t read yet, but I think it’s printed on the bottom.”

When a father noticed a thunderstorm forming in the mid-afternoon sky, he worried about his seven-year-old son who would be walking the three blocks from the baseball field to home. Before he could get in the car to go meet him, the father first saw his son  walking nonchalantly along, stopping to look up whenever lightning flashed. Seeing his father the son gleefully ran to him, ball in hand and bat firmly on his shoulder. The father asked, “Are you afraid of the lightning? I saw you stop and look up every time it flashed.” “No”, replied the son, “I think God is so proud of me, He’s taking my picture.”

[Proverbs 20:5-7] “The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find? The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him.” Faithful Fathers by Edd Sterchi, BulletindDigest.com. “It has been said that Father's Day is just like Mother's Day except you spend less on the gift! All humor aside, society has sadly downplayed the importance of a father in the home. Too many children are being raised without their fathers in their lives. And too many fathers who are still in the same home with their children are not active enough in their families’ lives. Fathers are to be the providers of the family (Genesis 3:17-19; 1 Timothy 5:8). This is an awesome task. Proverbs 20:6 states, "Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?” We could easily paraphrase that to "who can find a faithful father?" What must a faithful father provide for his family? * A faithful father provides for the physical needs of the family (2 Corinthians 12:14; Matthew 7:9-10). By the way, besides the obvious (food, clothing, shelter, etc.), our children need our time as well. The greatest physical thing we can give our children is ourselves. * A faithful father provides for the spiritual direction of the family (Ephesians 6:4; Isaiah 38:19). Fathers, we need to take the spiritual lead and guide our families toward heaven. They also need to see in us people who are serious about honoring and serving God properly. * A faithful father provides for the proper discipline of the family (Hebrews 12:7, 11; Proverbs 13:24). There are many effective forms of discipline, and a faithful father knows that proper and timely discipline will yield the fruit of righteousness. * A faithful father provides sympathetic understanding to all the members of the family (Colossians 3:21). We need to express our love, communicate with, and show compassion to our children. They need to see our "ears" and our "tears" from time to time. * While fathers upon the earth may fail in these areas from time to time, we need to remember that God, our heavenly Father, is perfect (Matthew 5:48). And as such, He provides for His children perfectly. * He provides for our physical needs (Matthew 7:11), * He provides for our spiritual direction (Psalm 73:24), * He provides for us proper discipline (Hebrews 12:5-6, 8-10), and * He provides sympathetic love and compassion (Psalm 86:15; 103:13). This Father's Day, express your appreciation to your earthly father. But every day, express your appreciation to your Heavenly Father who provides us with all we need.” Have a Great Dad’s Day!