Yesterday, the world celebrated Father’s Day! As Christians, it provides us the opportunity to honour both our natural and spiritual fathers. Have we ever taken the time to pay tribute to our Loving Heavenly Father? Who is the Heavenly Father and how can we come to know Him in a more intimate way?
1. Jesus Revealed the Father
Jesus sought every opportunity to reveal the Heavenly Father throughout His earthly ministry. Jesus revealed the importance of daily prayer with the Father (Mark 1:35). He also revealed the importance of seeking the Father for the purpose of showing Him what to do (John 5:19). Consider the following statement that Jesus makes when asked by Philip to reveal the Father:
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:7)
The primary purpose of Jesus in life was to fulfil the will that the Father had purposed for Him. The culmination of this desire in Jesus is seen in his intercessory prayer in John 17.
O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:25-26)
Jesus desired that His disciples both then and now, would know the Heavenly Father. In seeking to know Jesus and be like Jesus we will come to honour and know more of our Loving Heavenly Father.
2. The Father Desires to be Known
One of the more popular Bible Classes being taught in recent days is on “The Heart of the Father”. Why is this so? Over the last several decades the role of a father has been mocked, diminished and maligned. If that is the prevailing image of fatherhood how then can one be expected to have a true understanding of Father God? One of the core teachings on the Father Heart of God is the emphasis on “Identity”. Our Heavenly Father created each of us uniquely; we are not data or chattel or just a number.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. (Psalm 139:14)
This sense of identity allows us to know that we are loved and precious in our Father’s eyes. Remember, the same love the Father had for Jesus, He has for each of us (John 17:26).
Moses had a continual desire to know more of God and His glory (Exodus 33:13,18). God honoured His quest to know more of Him by allowing Moses to have a revelation of several of his attributes (Exodus 34:6). The more we seek after God the more He will make himself known.
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
There is another practical way we can come to know our Loving Heavenly Father.
3. Honouring our Fathers
As Jesus honoured His Father, we are to do the same. It would be most appropriate to honour and thank the Lord for Pastor Rony Tan; the spiritual father over Lighthouse Evangelism. We may not be able to share our appreciation personally but a prayer or word of thanks on his behalf would be honourable before the Lord. Also, appreciation to other spiritual fathers who have made an impact upon your lives would be appropriate. Last, but not least, the continual honouring of our natural fathers.
The Bible speaks of the day when there will be a restoration of the hearts of the children to the fathers (Malachi 4:6). Perhaps, we best honour God and come to know Him more when we seek restoration in our homes, our churches and with Him. Let us pray towards that end. Our God is a God of Restoration!
