Following My Father
9/7/19
Not everyone has a good role model in their father for
the way society accepts people these days the selfish personification of
individuality rules instead of what is best for their family. While this is not a new concept concerning
life it seems like it is running more rampant than ever. However, while we are voluntarily stuck in
the muck of our actions there is a way out through the perfect example of God
the Father. His Ways are so magnificent
that they have the greatest answers to not only our personal problems and
questions but for every question or problem that the world can dream up and
throw at us. For those who have either
had a great father to look up to while drawing breath and to those who have not
had the greatest father to look up to, God is the perfect Father to have and to
follow. As long as you draw breath God
is there for you and He is waiting for you to run to Him for Truth, for
protection, and for eternal life. The
world shall never promote this Way nor shall it provide such a guarantee, But
God is so willing to give it to us if we turn to Him and live under His Ways.
I am so lucky to still have both of my parents in my
physical life today. While we have not
always seen eye-to-eye on every detail about my life, their lives, and life in-general I have learned so much about life and how to successfully deal with
through their presence and actions.
There are numerous stories I could tell you about the things that my
parents tried to teach me so that I would not have to experience them if I
thought about things before making rash or crazy choices; however, being the
typical young person that I was I decided that they did not know any better and
were outdated from the current world so I chose my own path in many ways and
chose to address things in my own manner.
Most of the time I fell flat on my face and ran back to them when times
became too difficult to handle on my own.
They never condemned me nor were they ever condescending to me either
but they did their best to try and explain things to me that would make me
think twice before doing such activities again.
Now that I am a parent and have raised my girls and have watched them go
through their high times with joy and also cried with them when their hearts
were ripped from their chests as well just as my parents did with me.
Because of the nature God in which sends me article titles and
their content, I normally would not be writing this article immediately after
completing the previous article. God
usually gives me subjects three or four at a time and it takes me a bit to
complete those thoughts before I begin another topic. But this time things are a bit different for
I am beginning this article with no notes written and only the thought that God
placed into my heart as I was completing the process of the previous article
called “We Are Wicked?”. After I have
put an article where it needs to go and sent it to the ones who want to read it
by email and my blog, I get excited for it is then time that I get to highlight
the Scriptures that God used for that article and underline them with a
pen. As Nahum 1:1-3 was given to me I
immediately recognized that pop had read these verses and had partially
underlined them probably for thought that God had given him some time
ago. I absolutely love to sit and flip
through the leaves of his old Bible that he gave to me some years ago and I
have sat many an hour just looking at all the pages marked by his hand and at
the same time tried to imagine what God was showing him as he marked those
beautiful words. The majority of the
Bible that he gave me is either highlighted already or marked with an underline
a precious remembrance of how fervently pop wanted to know and then show the Word
of God to others.
But this time was different as I stated above for as I
was about to do my completion highlighting God spoke to my heart and gave me
the topic of the article I was supposed to write next. As for many of us out in the world, we have a
tendency of wanting to make it on our own and learn the things concerning life
in the manner in which it presents itself to us. We know that not every day that we are
present on this earth will be filled with joy, happiness, and roses but we do
hope that the majority of our days come along in some type of favorable
manner. While it is natural for us to
attack the situations that come our way before they get out of hand, some of us
do not wish to resort to confrontation and wait and see if it passes without
any harm done. Well, we all know that if
a situation that is not conducive to our lives arises and we do not deal with
it appropriately it will inevitably come back to bite us sometime down the
road. At that moment, I always told
myself that I wished I had listened to mom and dad earlier for things may have
turned out a tad different if I had. How
many of us have to raise our hands on that one?
As my highlighter was finished lining the words of Nahum
1:1-3, with its fluorescent yellow color I let it dry for a minute or two
before I picked up my red ink pen to underline the highlighted verses. I stopped for a second before I did and I
noticed that pop’s red pen that he used some time ago on portions of this
passage bled a bit when the highlighter covered it. Even though the red pen had been there for
quite some time it still bled over a bit when I applied the yellow color over
it. There is nothing wrong with this
scene and it did not do any damage to the page or did it inhibit the words
where they could not be read again, but it was here that God showed me and then
gave me the title and content of this article.
As I sat in my chair at the desk, I suddenly was reminded that my father
had previously been looking at this page and God was giving him another sermon
or nugget to give to someone in his congregation, it could have been decades
ago that this occurred I do not know.
What struck me hard was the fact that pop was listening
to God about a certain topic of a sermon that he was preparing, or a bit of
provision of God’s wisdom he was going to give to someone, or some other word
from God for His people. Pop was obeying
what Jesus was showing him to write down and he underlined the passage that God
gave to him to focus on when he did preach or speak to whomever it was that God
wanted to hear it. Now, I have no idea
what pop said to those who heard it nor do I know exactly what God told pop to
say either but what I do know is that God gave me the exact same passage, or at
least a portion of it that pop used some time ago, and that means that I am
following my father in the same path as pop did when he followed his Father.
I would give anything to turn back the clock of my life
and relive some of those times where my selfish heart was silent to the advice
and words that my father and mother said to me.
Instead of dreading to hear their voices “lecture” me I should have been
sitting at their feet listening to the sound advice they wanted me to
learn. I know that those days are long
gone and that they can never be brought back but as I have stated before and
probably will state it many times more before they leave this world I continue
to learn something from them every day that I walk this earth. There are days that I am not able to see
their faces or to hear the physical voices but even then there are things and
situations that present themselves to me and I think about their words or ways
and I cannot help but place those actions into motion. With this passage of Scripture that God used
in the previous article, combined with the message of this article it makes me
realize one important aspect about God that should be in the hearts of every
person who considers themselves a Christian and that is it is very important to
understand that God has already been where you are at now and He knows exactly
how to deal with any circumstance or setting you are going through or about to
go through.
I am amazed at how many topics I still have to write
about that deal with Genesis chapters 1-3, I have a stack literally three
inches high just on those three chapters alone and I bet that God can give me a
mile in length with the first three words of Genesis 1:1 if He wanted to; I
guess I will have plenty of time to write about those auricles from and about
Him in Heaven someday. Continuing on, I
know that what God showed my father about these verses some time ago probably
differ a tad but at the same time I know that if I ever find where that sermon
or those sermons are at I guarantee that they will complement each other
because I know my father heard the voice of God and obeyed what He gave him to
write. It is exciting to me to know that
what I am doing with these articles is in complete obedience to God and what He
has given me to do, I do such things strictly by His help and cannot give any
recognition or glory to anyone else but Him, for I am a worthless worm that
deserves death and cannot do such things without His guidance and grace.
Just this last week, I asked my parents if they still had
some of dad’s tapes of the sermons that he recorded, they said yes. I have not had the opportunity to listen to
any of them yet, in fact, I have not even received any of them but I cannot
help but believe that God put this passage in my heart to encourage me to
remind me that I am following in my father’s footsteps through the studying and
understanding of his eternal Father. I
just hope and pray that I can be half the man that my father and mother wanted
me to be in their eyes and hearts, for they did so much good during their
ministry years. I hope that my heart stays
tender and pure to those who are dying in their sins and to gently teach the
Truth to them as my parents did for so many decades. I have begun this journey in my adulthood and
feel sometimes that I have wasted so many opportunities to share the gospel due
to my stubbornness and closed hearing but I cannot look back and shall not look
back on these things for my heart is turned to God and looking for His guidance
to give to those who are lost.
So, while there is no official passage used in this article,
I guess the process of underlining and highlighting Nahum 1:1-3 can do service
today. I thank God that He continues to
give me the opportunity to tell others about His Ways and Love through the
words that He gives me, and I pray that He allows me to have the time to
complete each one that He gives me as well.
I also pray that the words I type are clear and precise then strikes a
chord into the hearts that need to hear them.
It is my desire to be a good example of Christ even though my physical
body and character do not reflect Him at times; Church, I hope this is your
heart’s desire and cry as well for it is the mission of our lives and the only
thing we were Created to do, follow in our Father’s footsteps. God knows that we know that not everyone on
this earth has a good earthly father to follow, yet at the same time, it is our responsibility
to tell them that they do have a perfect and eternal Father that has provided
the wonderful path of Truth for each one of them. If we do not provide this information and
Truth to them we are acting just like those parents that care nothing for the
children they brought into the world.
God loves each one of us according to how He loves His son and it is
eternally vital that we share this Truth with them. Thank you, Pop, for showing me and teaching
me about God.
DLB
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