A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows is God in his holy habitation.

Psalm 68:5

June 19th, 2016 marks Father’s Day in America, and many will celebrate their dads with a special card, a festive meal, with gifts, with hugs and with special family outings.  These will be the lucky ones.  For others, Father’s Day brings painful remembrances of a cavernous vacuum in their lives left by a father or husband who deserted the family, or by a father or husband who died.  Honoring our fathers and mothers is the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12).   It is also the commandment that promises a long life to the children of Israel, but also to us.  But dads, however great and loving they may be, are fallible. 

There’s one dad, one Father, who is different.  He is infallible.  He is the Father we can all unite to celebrate today and every day.  He is the Creator of the universe.  He brought everything into existence through his will and power (Genesis 1:1-31).  He is the life giver; all life was created by and is dependent on him (Genesis 2:7).  He is Spirit; distinct from all creation (Exodus 20:4).  He is Omnipresent; present in all places and at all times (Hebrews 13:5f).  He is Omniscient; he knows all things (Zechariah 4:10) including knowledge about your future (Daniel 2:28).  He is Omnipotent; capable of doing all things.  He is Sovereign; he reigns over all creation and all that occurs in it (Matthew 10:29).  He is incomprehensible; he cannot be fully known (Philippians 4:7).  He is the Eternal God who has no beginning and no end (Genesis 1:1).  He is Self-Existent; He has life within himself and is not dependent on any other (Exodus 3:14).  He is immutable (Genesis 8:22), perfect (Romans 12:2), incomparable (Exodus 15:11), and good (Nahum 1:7).  This Father is Holy and separate from all else, especially from evil (Psalm 22:3).  He is righteous and just (Matthew 6:33) and he is judge over all creation (Romans 1:32).  He is the Father of grace, mercy and love; he gives us what we need rather than what we deserve (Jonah 3:10-4:2).

Some call him Elohim; the Creator, Mighty and Strong (Genesis 17:7), others call him El Shaddai, our God Almighty (Genesis 49:24), still others call him Adonai, our Lord (Genesis 15:2). Then there are those who call him Jehovah, our LORD (Deuteronomy 6:4).  He is the one who provides for us (Genesis 22:14), the one who heals our diseases (Exodus 15:26), our banner who leads us to victory (Exodus 17:25), the one who sanctifies us and makes us Holy (Leviticus 20:8).  He is our peace (Judges 6:24), and also our good Shepherd, the one who walks besides us tending to our needs and protecting us from harm (Psalm 23:1).

Today, just call him Father, because he is able to meet you exactly where you are.  He is the one who sits in his Holy habitation, and yet is near you providing all that you need whether it be sustenance, protection or comfort.  He is the Father who remembers and preserves those who are fatherless.  He is the Father who comforts the widows pursuing justice on their behalf.  He is the Father who has power to still any storm you may be facing.  So put your trust in Him and praise him for what he means to you, for what he has done for you and for what he promises to do for you.  He says, he will preserve the fatherless, and garner the trust of the widows (Psalm 68:5).  He is the Alpha and the Omega; the first and the last (Revelations 22:13); unmoved, unchanged and never undone; he reigns to bring peace and to fill that cavernous vacuum in your heart with his presence.  Today, you and I can celebrate Father’s Day, because we belong to him.  We can celebrate Father’s Day, because he has promised that we who believe in Him, will one day reign with him, in his Holy habitation where we will live forever and forever in his Holy presence.  This Father will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).  He is your daddy and you can rest and rejoice in Him.

Loving Father, thank you for loving me and calling me to yourself.  Thank you for forgiving my sin through your son Jesus Christ.  Thank you for giving me new life through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.  And thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to be my guide on my journey towards you.  Receive honor, glory and majesty on this Father’s Day, because there is none like you.  I love you and worship you.  Amen.