Father's Day...a whole new experience

        When I was growing up, Father's Day meant one thing...searching for the perfect tie for Dad. Oh yeah, there was making him a home made card and telling him how much I loved him. Now I'm grown up and have children of my own. Father's Day is a whole new experience. The honor and respect I have for my father has only grown. I didn't really know what all he did for us or how much we meant to him. Sure, he told us he loved us and showed it, but I didn't really understand that love until I had children of my own. Now I know. I know about the prayers he prayed for my soul. I know about the countless sacrifices he made for our family. I know the love he had and still has for us. 
      
      Now that I'm a dad, Father's Day has a dual meaning for me. First, I honor my father and consider all he did for our family. He prayed for us. He taught us from the word of God. He provided a living for us. He worked a full time job and put himself through seminary while still finding time to spend with us. He put three boys through college. He taught us how to love our wives by the example he set loving Mom. I think about these things on Father's Day.  Second, I am reminded that as a father myself, I have great responsibilities to raise my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, just as my dad raised us. As a father, I have been given a most precious gift and an awesome responsibility. 

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them..."
Psalm 127:3-5 

        If I don't take time and remember the example set by my own father, I will surely forget those things necessary to raise my own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

"Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou

 forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they

 depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them 

thy sons, and thy sons' sons;"
Deuteronomy 4:9

        Though this is written to Israel, there is a principle that applies to all believers...especially believers who are fathers. We are to teach our children of the Lord. 

"The LORD our God is one LORD: 
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul,

 and with all thy might. And these words,  which I command thee this day, 

shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,

 and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when 

thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall 

be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them 

upon the posts of they house, and on thy gates."
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 

        As a Christian father, I am commanded to keep the words of God in my heart and  teach them to my children. By His grace, I fully intend to do just that so my children will know them and teach them to their children. 

  "We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 

 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which 

should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 

That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works

 of God, but keep his commandments:" 

Psalm 78:4-7 

     Father's day is a whole new experience for me now. It is a double blessing in that I have the privilege of honoring my father as well as being reminded of my responsibility to teach my children of the Lord. 


     Thank you, Dad, for your faithfulness to our Lord in teaching us of Him and being the best example you could be. May I be found faithful in teaching my children the same.