A Father's Compassion
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In 1990 George Strait’s hit song, written by Aaron Barker, Love without end, Amen was released. The Chorus of this song goes like this:
Let me tell you a secret about a father's love
A secret that my daddy said was just between us
He said daddies don't just love their children every now and then
It's a love without end, amen
The Love that a dad has for his child is incredible. It is a love without end. The lengths that we would go to in order to keep our kids safe is unmatched. The moment that Ella was born, I thought to myself there is nothing I would not do to keep this precious little girl safe.
We see the incredible length that The Father goes to show His children love when He sends His Son Jesus to the cross.
Today, as we celebrate Father’s Day, we are going to look at Psalm 103:13 as we look at the compassion a dad has for his child and the compassion that God, our Father, has for us, His children
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
Dad’s Show Compassion
Dad’s Show Compassion
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
Dad is compassionate with his time
Dad is compassionate with his time
There is much in life that we value. We value our homes, cars, and phones. We value our jobs and our bank accounts. We value money and health. In the midst of all of these things, there is something that we can offer that is of so much more value, and that is our time.
Children need time with their dads. They need to know that they are important to him.
As dads maybe we need to stop what we are working on for a few minutes and spend some time with our kids
As dads maybe we need to set our phones down in another room and leave them there while we spend time with our kids, so they don’t think that our phones are an extension of us. (this is one that I am personally working on)
As dads maybe we need to get off the couch and onto the floor and play with barbies or Legos or bake in the toy kitchen.
As dads maybe we need to have meals with our kids. Ella loves when her and daddy eat together.
As dads maybe we need to watch shows with our kids that are appropriate for their age that they enjoy.
As dads maybe we need to tuck them in bed from time to time and let them know how much we love them.
As dads maybe we need to put away our to do list and take our kids for a bike ride
As dads maybe we need to stop chasing that extra dollar, prestige, or recognition and jump in the pool for a few minutes.
Our time is very valuable, and our kids need to know that we value them enough to give them our time.
We need to see our kids as a delight and not a distraction. They truly are an incredible gift from God, and they are worthy of our time.
Dad is compassionate with his understanding
Dad is compassionate with his understanding
Often a child seeks the approval of his or her dad. It is important for us as dads to seek to understand our kids
We need to understand what they like and don’t like. We need to understand what they find as important
We need to understand that they are going to make mistakes and they are going to need our patience and forgiveness
We need to understand that we are their parent and not their friend
We need to understand there will be times they are not going to like us
We need to understand that we are the one who is in charge not them
We need to understand that a day will come when we will let them go to be with their spouse
We need to understand that they will always need us even if they won’t admit it.
We need to understand that we hold a special place in their heart
Dad is compassionate with his training
Dad is compassionate with his training
One of the greatest ways that a dad show compassion to his child is through training
A dad teaches his daughter how she should be treated by the way he treats his wife
A dad teaches his son how to honor and respect women by the way he treats his wife
A dad teaches his kids by his actions how they are to live and act in this world
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Most importantly a dad teaches his child the truth about Jesus
“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.
It is important that a child’s training begins at home.
Dad is compassionate with his discipline
Dad is compassionate with his discipline
Sometimes in order for us to train our children it means there needs to be discipline
Our kids need to know that actions come with consequences
I never understood when my dad said this hurts me more than you until I had a child. However, when don’t discipline our kids we are setting them up for a lot more hurt later in life.
The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently.
We need to understand there is a difference between beating and correcting. We can take discipline too far.
In our world today, we have so many people who don’t realize the consequences for their actions. Our kids need to be raised knowing there is a standard and when that standard is broken there will be punishment. When they learn this as kids, it will help them to grow up to be better equipped adults.
If we are to be the best dads that we can be for our kids, then we need to look at the example set by our Father in heaven.
The LORD is our Example
The LORD is our Example
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
The LORD gives us His time
The LORD gives us His time
God created us in His image so that you and I could have fellowship with Him. As we go back to the garden, we see the wonderful fellowship that God had with Adam and Eve
God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so that the relationship that was broken in the garden could be restored.
God sends us His Holy Spirit to come and live inside of us when we give our hearts and lives to Christ
At the end God will once again dwell with man
Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God.
As we read the word of God it is clear to see that the LORD gives us His time.
As He, our Father, gives us of His time, we in turn give our time to our children
The LORD gives us understanding
The LORD gives us understanding
In order to see the LORD’s understanding all we have to do is look at the journey of the people of Israel.
God was patient with His people as they wondered in the wilderness
Time after time they rebelled against Him, yet He was very patient with them sending prophet after prophet to warn them to turn back to Him.
Even after they were exiled for their sins against God, He would forgive them and restore them to their land
As we get to the New Testament, we continue to see God’s understanding through His patience and forgiveness
Peter would deny Him 3 times, yet He would be the rock which the church would be built upon
Paul was a well know persecutor of the church, yet God called him out of that life and used him as a great apostle
Now we look at our lives
How much have you and I sinned against God that He has been patient with us and forgiven us?
How many times has our God been there for us as we have gone through the trials of this life?
Most importantly we see God’s understanding in the cross
God understands that there is nothing that you can I can do to be made right with Him
God understands that we need a Savior
God sent His son to be that Savior
Present the Gospel
As our heavenly Father is understanding of us with His incredible patience and forgiveness, we need to seek to understand our children with patience and forgiveness
The LORD gives us training
The LORD gives us training
Our God has given us the gift of training
He gives us His Word, the Bible, to teach us how we are to live, love, and act towards Him and other people
He gives us His Spirit to help us know what to do and when we get out of line
He gives us fellowship with each other where we can come together and study truths about Him and grow in our walk with Christ.
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
All that we need to live a life devoted to Him for all that He has done for us, He has given to us.
As our Father gives the training, we need to be the best we can be, so we need to give training to our children so that they can be the best they can be.
The LORD gives us discipline
The LORD gives us discipline
This last one we may not like as well, but when we get out of line, God gives us discipline and this is a sign of His great love for us.
Every action that you and I take comes with consequences. Some good and some bad.
When we get out of line, God lets us know so that we may get back in line
And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or lose heart when you are reproved by him, for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes every son he receives.
He does this in order to keep us safe and protect us. He knows that when we break the rules that He has set for us it ends in pain for us.
Look at all the pain that Adam and Eve brought upon themselves simply because they disobeyed one rule that God had given them
Since God is a good God, He will discipline us when we get out of line just like a good dad will discipline his children
Conclusion
Conclusion
God, our Father, is our ultimate example for how we are to interact with our children. God has shown us incredible compassion and unconditional love. We are to show our children incredible compassion and unconditional love.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.
What is God saying to you today?
Maybe you are here today, and your dad was not the greatest. Let me tell you about your heavenly Father and how much He loves you. If you have not, will you come and give your life to Him today?
Maybe you are here today, and you feel the need to spend more time with your child. Will you come and commit to that?
Maybe you are here today, and you feel the need to try and understand you child better. Will you come and ask for God’s wisdom to do so?
Maybe you are here today, and you feel the need to spend more time with you child in the word of God training them. Will you come and commit to that?
Maybe you are here today, and you feel the need to better balance discipline of your child. Will you come?
Whatever the Spirit of God is challenging you today, will you come and give it to our Father that loves us so much
“Let me tell you a secrete about a father’s love.” It is forever
Invitation