Faithful. This characteristic comes to mind when I think of fathers.
But my father abandoned me for part of my childhood. When my dad reappeared in my life, he was a self-proclaimed atheist. He held no belief in God, much less the idea of a heavenly Father (or any father) who loves and never leaves His children.
Then after sixteen years of praying for my father, he finally believed in God and accepted Christ as Savior.
He passed away in 2010. I miss so many things about my dad and loved him dearly. So I’m always a little tear-filled, a tad heart-broken, and a bit soul-grieved around Father’s Day.
Still, I have the privilege to celebrate three fathers. There’s my biological dad in heaven who became a big part of my life starting in middle school. And my first stepfather who helped raise me; he loved and cared for me exactly the same as his own daughter (my half-sister).
Both my earthly fathers hold a special place in my heart. But as we honor fathers this month, I want to highlight my heavenly Father. He’s the third father mentioned, but first in my life. And the most faithful Father ever!
So here are 10 ways God is a faithful Father:
1. He adopts us.
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:5, NLT).
2. He loves big.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1a, ESV).
3. He cares.
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7.
4. He listens.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15, ESV).
5. He stays close and never forsakes us.
“The LORD is near to all who call on him” (Psalm 145:18a, NIV).
“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5b, ESV).
6. He provides.
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11,ESV).
7. He keeps His promises.
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9, ESV).
Speaking of Abraham, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:20-21, ESV).
8. He fulfills His purpose.
“I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:2, ESV).
9. He thinks about us.
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you” (Psalm 139:16-19, ESV).
10. He’s faithful to His Word and completes His work in us.
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19, ESV).
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9, ESV).
This is a great verse to insert your name. God is faithful, by whom ________ was called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
While my list certainly isn’t exhaustive, I hope it gives you plenty of reasons to not only celebrate earthly fathers this Father’s Day but also our heavenly Father.
Karen Friday is a pastor’s wife passionate about the local church, women’s ministry, speaking, and sacred callings. Known as Girl Friday in the writing and blogging world, she founded the award-winning, online community, Hope is Among Us at Karen Girl Friday. Karen is also an award-winning author who has published devotions and articles, contributed to several anthologies and a devotional, Dear Wife: 10 Minute Invitations to Practice Connection with Your Husband. She writes monthly for A Wife Like Me and Inspire a Fire while working on her first non-fiction book. The Friday clan includes two grown children and two grandchildren. The entire family is fond of the expression, “TGIF: Thank God it’s Friday.” They owe Monday an apology. Connect with Karen on social media: Twitter, Instagram.
