Fathers

Yesterday the Lord spoke to me about fathers. This is a difficult subject since I am not a father and I do not want to counsel men on something I don’t know about. Yet, this morning the Lord continued on this subject and I feel a definite leading to share what He is saying.

This lesson began when the Lord reminded me of a dream I had long ago. In that dream a father who had children and grandchildren (you might call him the patriarch of the family) had Thanksgiving dinner at his house. He sat at the head of the table, enjoying all whom he saw. Then his granddaughter came in with her husband and baby. They had traveled there from a distant country, and were very, very skinny. The father was offended at their needs, and when dinner was served they were given nothing to eat.

This may seem like a very sad dream, but it is symbolic. Yesterday the Lord brought the dream to my mind and I heard the father say “How far do I go?” This is what God hears some men ask Him concerning their families. The man in the dream was only able to enjoy his family if they did not have pressing needs. But it was an offensive burden to him when their needs were apparent.

In the times we live in there are many needs amongst our grown children. Because of divorce, there are single mothers. It may seem like too great a burden for the patriarch to take them back under his wings and care for them. And if she is a niece or granddaughter, there may be a great distance between them. How far does a father go in his role as the head of his family? And what kind of protective covering does he offer them?

This morning the Lord had me look at two sets of scripture. In Genesis 18:19 I read about Abraham. This verse states that God knew Abraham would instruct his children and his household in the ways of the Lord. God also knew he would be faithful. Because of this God brought about all He had promised Abraham. From Abraham’s life we see that instruction in the ways of the Lord is highly valued by God. Perhaps in our society of free time and recreation we have lost some of the parental focus on instruction. The worldly viewpoint is that parents should have fun with their children, yet very little is said about instructing them in the ways of righteousness. Yet, the example set in the home will far outweigh that of teachers and Sunday School teachers.

The second scripture is found in Malachi 5:6, where we read that God will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children’s heart to their fathers, or else God will smite the earth with a curse. There are conditions God has set in the family that set the tone for all our society. Godly instruction from the fathers to their children will cause righteousness in the home, which will spread to the society we live in. It is so important that, without the faithfulness of the fathers, a curse will occur instead of a blessing.

I am seeing the hearts of children turn to their fathers. Many are open to instruction and fellowship. This is clearly the Lord’s doing and is a sign of the times we are living in. He will work in families to bring healing and righteousness. God is looking for faithful men. Before we look at the next project we will do for the Lord, let us all look at our families. God’s love, through fathers, is far-reaching, powerful, and sets the foundation for righteousness that future generations will experience. Amen