The Love of a Father

I look up and smile, my hand tightly holding onto his hand. Secure, content, without a worry in this world. He looks down and encourages me, speaking words of wisdom and instructions of care and discipline. 

Mathew 7:11 says, ‘If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask?” 

We are imperfect individuals. I am blessed to have had a wonderful father and now I love seeing how much my husband dotes on our baby. Yet, many have experienced just how imperfect their fathers were and have felt the loss of the love, security, respect, care and discipline a father brings to the family. 

Jesus speaks to the crowds gathered on a mountainside. He teaches them characteristics of holiness, purity, peacefulness, meekness, to thirst after righteousnesses. He teaches them how to live, to be a light to others and how to pray. Jesus talks of who He is, the fulfillment of the law. We by our own efforts can not be righteous but only through the righteousness of Jesus. He tells those in the crowds that even the pharisees and teachers of the law though they attempt to keep each and every command can not enter into heaven. One would have to be even better than that. 

Impossibly perfect.  

Instructions, law, rules given to the lawless. Hearts deceived. Minds impure. Don’t kill. No! Don’t even hate! Don’t commit adultery. No! Don’t even lust in your heart! If you are persecuted, be glad and rejoice. Love your enemies. 

Forgive. 

Jesus knows our hearts, He knows our thoughts, what we hold most dearly and treasure and all our deepest worries. 

If we being evil still know how to give good gifts, how much more does our Heavenly Father give. 

Laws, rules, instructions are given to those who are in need of guidance. Jesus reminds them from the beginning that He is the fulfillment of the law. This gives us hope. Rule breaking, lawlessness, deceitfulness lies in the very heart of humans. We work to be good. We work to overcome evil with good. We work to turn our hearts to purity, integrity and we pray for virtue. Our endeavors struggle to keep up the facade of good. Even our good is not good enough. Our perfection never is. Through Christ Jesus we find solace and ease in knowing that simple faith and a quiet trust brings us under the cover of His righteousness. 

Ask, seek and knock not for things that bring us temporary satisfaction, not for us to have a more efficient performance of good. Keep asking for mercy, seek after His grace and knock on the door of salvation. You will receive mercies renewed each morning that will give you strength to face each new challenging day. You will find grace that is sufficient for you to see beauty in the day-to-day and rest amidst the strife.  You will find the door of redemption open, allowing you to see, know and feel the perfect freeing love of a perfect Heavenly Father. 

Hold on, trusting in the secure faith of the faithful loving Heavenly Father.