PASSIONATE PURSUITE...FATHER'S HAVE IT HARD SOMETIMES

​FATHER’S HAVE IT HARD SOMETIMES
 
ACTS 13:15-22
AND AFTER THE READING OF THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS THE RULERS OF THE SYNAGOGUE SENT UNTO THEM SAYING,
YE MEN AND YE BRETHREN, IF YE HAVE ANY WORD OF EXHORTATION FOR THE PEOPLE, SAY ON.
THEN PAUL STOOD UP AND BECKONING WITH THE HAND SAID, MEN OF ISRAEL, AND YE THAT FEAR GOD, GIVE AUDIENCE.
THE GOD OF THIS PEOPLE OF ISRAEL CHOSE OUR FATHERS, AND EXALTED THE PEOPLE WHEN THEY DWELT AS STRANGERS IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND WITH A HIGH ARM BROUGHT HE THEM OUT OF IT.
AND ABOUT THE TIME OF FORTY YEARS SUFFERED HE THEIR MANNERS IN THE WILDERNESS.
AND WHEN HE AHD REMOVED HIM, HE RAISED UP UNTO THEM DAVID TO BE THEIR KING, TO WHOM HE ALSO GAVE TESTIMONY, AND SAID, I HAVE FOUND DAVID THE SON OF JESSE, A MAN AFTER MINE OWN HEART, WHICH SHALL FULFILL ALL MY WILL.
Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, mercy and peace be multiplied. As we come together to celebrate the privilege of having been given natural and spiritual fathers, there is a word of encouragement from the Lord. In times such as these we can look to our forefather and front runner David. The word tells us that the Lord chose him as a man after God’s own heart. I must mention that fathers have it hard sometimes. They are called. They have been chosen for a role and have such high expectations by family to shield, protect, provide, instruct, communicate, love, and the list goes on. Although, by faith we have been grafted in the vine of David, it doesn’t mean that he was perfect and he didn’t make mistakes as a husband or father. King David chose multiple wives. He had several children, he was an adulterer, manipulator, conspirator, and murderer; and yet a lover of God. He experienced numerous shortcomings while learning to seek after the spirit of God. No matter the circumstance or the situation, he knew the fear of the Lord and that he was in the Lord’s hands. He cried unto the Lord and he heard his cry. The Lord favored him because his heart was upright before the Lord.  He created a standard of righteousness and recognized that our righteousness is as filthy as rags and we need to have the Spirit of God. He was a God Chaser and catcher. Therefore, as we look to King David ad other men of valor that the Lord has placed in our lives, look at what they did in the midst of their trials and circumstances. Look at how they overcame adversity. Some of us have men, young and old, who the Lord has placed in our lives as fathers for example. The Lord says in the scripture here that He chose our fathers, and exalted us. Meaning, he used them to take us higher heights in Jesus Christ. Fir sine us our fathers may not have said the right things or dotted the I’s or crossed the t’s. Yet, they are whom the Lord sent us to elevate us and get us to our expected end. The Lord stated that in these last days this generation would do a greater work. Eye hath not seen not hath ear heard but it is given by his spirit to do these works greater than our forefathers. They’ve planted, watered, and God alone has given the increase of harvest. The Lord gave testimony of David speaking of what he had found. He said he found a heart after God to do his will. Sometimes we look at all the wrong things in a person. God finds the good parts to exalt. In Nathan the Lord said in him he found no guile. Peter, he found him to be a rock; unshakeable and unmovable. The Lord long suffers with us all to bring out the goodness that he has bestowed in our earthen vessels. He looks past our faults leading, guiding, encouraging, building us up as a temple not made with man’s hands, but as the apple of his eye being shaped on the potter’s wheel. Therefore, let’s have that same heart after God that is filled with love, patience, forgiving quickly, merciful, and also understanding what the Lord’s will is to pray people through as they learn how to be the fathers that God called them to be; abounding from faith to faith and glory to glory. #HappyFather'sDay #Keeploving #keeppraying #praisehim #trusthim