Family is central to God's story. Throughout the Bible we see fathers that we can learn from, and this goes all the way back to the first Dad on Earth.

1. God the Father

Let’s not be coy; God is our ultimate example of fatherhood. He is a perfect leader. He makes perfect decisions. He is perfectly loving, while also a perfect disciplinarian. This belief is at the core of the Christian faith. In the same way we want our own children to trust us, we must choose to trust God every day, all day. A good way to practice this is through stillness and listening for His guidance. 

Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord will lead you; you only need to be still.” 

God understands that His children sometimes complain and whine because we are uncertain of the future. He also understands that what a good father brings will be multiplied by the rest of the family. A father that is stressed and anxious will result in the rest of the family getting stressed and anxious. That is why God, when his children were pursued in the desert by their previous captors in Exodus, calmly communicates that they only need to be still. Their dad will take care of those bullies!

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Do you know what made David stand out among all the Israelites? He saw a possibility rather than ruminating on the problem. While the people grumbled and cowered in fear for forty days, David showed up and immediately was ready to take action because he knew his God was able!

‘It is finished’ were words uttered by our God that hold more meaning, power, and love than we truly have the ability to understand fully.

On Spy Wednesday, we reflect on the theme of watchfulness and vigilance in our faith journey.  

Ironically, the rich young ruler was talking to “the way,” but could not see the grace in front of him because he was so caught up in the rules of the religion he was brought up in. He missed the heart of the message, which pointed to a Messiah King who would bring salvation to the people.

Sabbath allows us to “soak in” God’s presence, to reflect on His good gifts, to meditate on His promises, and to reconnect with Him so our lives can be lived with the proper perspective.

The lyrics are a beautiful declaration of a desperate and wholehearted reliance on God. The Bible tells us to set our eyes on the Lord (Psalm 16:8) and the song expands on this idea, reminding us that God is our all in all. But how often do we live like this?

“Human history is the long, terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” - C.S. Lewis

There are so many lies we buy into in an effort to find joy outside of a surrendered relationship with God. Genesis introduces sin, and in Genesis 3 we read the account of an interaction between the deceiver and the woman. This conversation reveals the lies that started humanity's long stint of wandering.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’’ ‘You will not certainly die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Genesis 3:1-7, emphasis added).

In this passage of Scripture, we notice four lies the serpent uses to pull the first humans away from God’s best.

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The defining feature of our Creator is love! When we spend time in his presence, we also take on his loving nature.

Are you living in the abundance God promises or relying on your own strength? This reflection on Ephesians 3:20-21 reminds us of the extravagant love, grace, and power available when we surrender to Him. Embrace the abundant life God offers and discover what it truly means to thrive in His presence.

If we are honest, even as Christ followers there are some days where finding God’s goodness feels like a treasure hunt. We really have to stretch our hearts and minds to find it. Those are the days when we realize that what our soul needs more than God’s good gifts is the presence of our good God.

God made it his mission to help me understand what his abundance means this year, and as I look back, I am in awe of the ways he proved himself to be sovereign, gracious, powerful, and kind. All I can offer back is a weak thank-you, because I know his grace is more than I could ever aspire to deserve.

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled. For God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Hebrews 13:4