The Words of a Father

Today's reading is Genesis 49-50 and Matthew 13:31-58. Read online HERE.

What stuck out to me today was Jacob's (Israel's) words to his sons. He took each of his sons and gave a final statement about each one. Some were good, some were not so good. What a father says about and to his son(s) is key here. It really is a blessing or a cursing, and it carries on into life.

Fathers, are you creating a situation where your son grows up feeling like he's no good, the expectations are too high, that you are unfair, hypocritical, judgmental, etc? Or does he feel like you're preparing him to be a real man? Are you teaching him to love God (or just yourself)? Are you modeling for him how to be a godly father and husband? One the one hand, if you are not secure in your relationship with God (or your own father), it can be very easy to "pass along" those insecurities to your son. He would then have insecurities of his own, and so the pattern continues. Or, will you break that pattern and thrust a stake in the ground and say from this generation forward we will serve the Lord God?

I don't mean to neglect the daughters - it is of utmost importance that fathers are there for their daughters, but there is so much there it deserves another post at another time. Perhaps you were a son with a father that was lost, or that gave you a cursing rather than a blessing. The great news is that if you are born again, you have a Father in heaven who is perfect; a Father who will give you what you need, including that rite of passage into manhood. If you are not saved (born again), there is still good news for you. First, take care of the salvation issue. Read my post from January 18 HERE and follow the instructions. Once you have done that, get with a mature Christian at a Bible believing church to help you get established in your faith, and get to know the Father you never had! Even if you had a great father growing up, you can still use that as a foundation for getting to know your perfect heavenly Father!

Time prohibits me this morning from discussing Matthew, but in the parables in this passage Jesus is giving us pictures of just how precious the kingdom of Heaven is.

Have an awesome day!