With Father’s Day approaching, this song by Chris Tomlin has been circling through my mind.  I am amazed at the goodness of God in my life.  Over and over, time and time again He has proven Himself to be a good Father.  So many scriptures abound about the type of father that God is.  The entirety of the Word conveys the message of His love for His children and His efforts to restore what was once lost.  From Genesis to Revelation, Father God has shown us His heart and His plan.

 

Through the passages of time, many have veiled His heart through a shroud of laws and rules.  Some have reduced the amazing love that He has for us to mere text.  There are also many times that God has done things that we in our finite minds would judge as being harsh or unloving but in reality, He had a better plan than we could even imagine. This minimizes the vastness of just how good He is.  While you can read about the stories of God’s hand of faithfulness for His children and how He provides, guides, promises, and fulfills, His goodness can really only be understood by experiencing it.

 

We all know that text messages or books don’t completely reveal the heart, motive, or intent of the writer.  The best method of finding out the true heart of the matter is through the Spirit.  One of the Spirit’s ministries is to reveal the intent of the heart…the motive, the will behind the Word.  The Spirit of God makes the heart of the Father real to you by allowing you to experience it.  In my life, there have been times when I have read a passage that I know I’ve read countless times before and yet suddenly it becomes real and personal, like I have lived that passage and now understand it.

 

One specific passage of scripture where that happened to me was the story of the Prodigal Son, as most refer to it, found in Luke 15.  While reading this story, I was completely turned upside down by something that I thought I knew.  Most of us focus on the absolute love the father in the story had for his wayword son.  Let me say, that is a perfect example of God’s love for us.  I’m not at all diminishing Father’s love for us while we were yet in sin.  For me, I understand that God loves us in our sin and provided the way of escape through His Son Jesus.  I also believe that there is more to God’s love than just when we sin.  You see, He’s a good good Father.  Not just a good Father, but a GOOD GOOD FATHER!

 

If you read further in the passage, you’ll find the older son, dutifully doing what was asked of him, being faithful in his tasks, and never really asking for much.  However, when the younger son returns, something rises up in the older son.  When told by the servant the good news of his younger brother returning, the older brother got angry.  One of the reasons he was angry was because his brother had already spent his inheritance and yet here was his dad killing the fatted calf and throwing a party.  The father’s motive was very clear…“‘It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”  But the older son couldn’t understand why.  After all, he did everything that he was asked.  He never sinned against his father and yet there was no party for him.  When the older brother still wouldn’t go join the celebration, his father came out to plead with him.  After hearing the oldest son’s complaints the father says something so powerful that I hope you can experience it too.  He said, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.”  Wow!  Do you understand what the father was saying to the older son? While he was complaining about what was happening his father let him know 2 things.

1…You are always with me.  Do you hear your Father saying that to you today?   You are in my presence.  You got the better of the deal.  While your younger brother was sleeping with pigs, we have been together.  While you have been with me, I have been with you.  What more could someone ask for?  And yet, the father continues….

2…All that I have is yours.  Friend, whatever you situation in life, you need to understand this.  Everything that Father has is yours.  Psalm 23.1 in the NIV puts it like this.   “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”  Wow!  Holy wow!  Father’s love for us is enormous!

 

My desire is for you to see not only the goodnesss of God to save you, which is super huge and I’m super thankful for, but also to understand that His love does not stop there.  If you’re saved by the atoning saving work of Jesus, then you are His child.  Father is speaking these words to your heart today.  He loves you and…HE’S A GOOD GOOD FATHER!