Devotional for the Week

Devotional for the week –6 July 2009

Sermon Title: “Dad, You’re the Greatest”
Sermon Text: Luke 15.11-32

Every Dad's Desire

It is every Dad’s desire to see their children grow up and and do well in society and to have good moral standing. We as fathers also have this great desire to hear these wonderful words from our children, “Dad, You are the Greatest.”

From the scripture text, three characteristics of a good father are highlighted in the parable.

1. A good father grants freedom to his children. He trusts God that they can handle their freedom well for the good of themselves, their family and for society.

A good father grants freedom to their children even though freedom is a difficult gift. After all, freedom can be a gift that brings disastrous consequences. The father in Jesus’ story may have thought about the potential dangers for his younger son in the “distant country” (Luke 15:13) The distant country represented a worldly life and its selfish indulgences. In the end, the younger son really took his freedom and wasted his inheritance on prostitutes and the worldly pleasures of life.

However like the father in the parable, regardless of our worries, we must respect the adulthood of our children. We must do all we can to teach our children to obey the commandments in the Bible while they are younger. But once they grow into adulthood, we have to let them go to lead their own lives. As fathers, we must have faith that God will take care of our children.

For when God let us go, He paid a high price to redeem us from eternal death. He gave everything in his heavenly glory to rescue us; to lift us up into His glory. Let us put our faith in God. For as Revelations 21.7 states, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my child. We are therefore more than conquerors through Him who loves us so much.”

2. A good father treats his children with unmerited compassion, with no favoritism and does not provoke them to anger.

A good father often treats a child with unmerited favour; grace and mercy. The younger son tested his father, demanding his inheritance and then squandering it. In his desperation, he went back to his father and asked to be his servant. Yet the father received him back into the family, granting him son-ship. This was a radical turn of events from the Mosaic laws. In Deuteronomy 21.18-21, such a rebellious son should be stoned to death.

Similarly for us, there is the possibility of repentance, forgiveness and restoration because of the grace of our heavenly Father. God wants to show us His grace of unconditional love, His mercy and His generous and forgiving heart.

The father had an older son who flew into a jealous rage after learning that the father was celebrating the return of his wayward brother. He did not understand his father’s heart but was angry at the perceived unfairness.

Yet like the father in the parable, Heaven rejoices over the repentance of one sinner (Luke 15:7, 31-32). As Christians, we must share the same father’s joy of God. If we are not aligned with the will of our Father, it is time to check our own spirits. This same sentiment is also echoed in Ezekiel 18.23 when the Sovereign Lord says that he does not like to see wicked people perish but to turn from their wicked ways and live.

Despite both his sons’ unkind and ungrateful attitude to him, the father treated both with extreme kindness. Today, let us respond to our children with kindness. For as Ephesians 6.4 states, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”

3. A good father provides an Christ-like example for his children to follow.

Both sons in Jesus’ parable could see an example of a good father. They observed the father’s love for each of them. The father showed no favoritism. As Ephesians 5:1 states, we should “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.”

Every child likes to imitate his father or mother. Similarly, God loves to see us imitating Him. It pleases Him very much whenever He sees us trying to be like Him. Jesus Christ is God’s earthly example to follow. Eventually, it is a natural process that our close relationship with our children will initiate them to imitate God through the example of their fathers.

Conclusion

We as fathers are more than willing to invest our devotion and time to build up our children’s future. But we should have a similar interest in their destiny and their spiritual growth. Let’s start today. As parents, God ordained us with spiritual authority over our children. Let’s do something for them!

Prayer Response

Father God, grant me Your heart of compassion and mercy this day. For You so loved the world that You gave us Your only Son, Lord Jesus Christ, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish. Lord Jesus, let me may walk in your Holy example for my children. I surrender them to You this day. May they live lives that glorify You. In Jesus’ most precious name I pray, Amen.

A devotional based on a sermon by Rev Fred Tan

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