Father’s Day Message: "The Father’s Heart”

A Father’s Day Message:

“The Father’s Heart”

Psalm 103

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Today we celebrate Father’s Day, a day that has set aside to celebrate Fatherhood. It was a day I was looking forward to after the birth of my daughter Danielle. Finally, I’d be recognized as a father, and on that first Father’s Day I was handed my lovely 7-month-old daughter and was told, “You’re her father, she’s yours for the day.” Not exactly what I had in mind.

But all of us fathers have come to realize that this is how it works. We’re taken out to lunch only to end up paying for it, one way or another, like when we sit down to watch the game on TV, and the moms see us idle and say, “If you’re just sitting there, would you mind!”

Normally on Father’s Day sermons revolve around our responsibility as fathers, especially seeing what one author calls the epidemic of fatherless America. In several ways he’s correct, not only in the deterioration of fatherhood in America, but also as America has moved away from the belief in God the Father found in the Bible.

Now, when we think of the word “father,” many of us have mixed emotions considering our fathers as we grew up, that is, from love to hate. Others cannot comprehend the fullness of fatherhood seeing that their fathers were not around because of death, divorce, or abandonment. And for some fear and hatred exists because of a father’s abuse.

And so, when we talk about God the Father, an inaccurate picture is conjured up in our minds. We see our Heavenly Father in the much same light as our human fathers, and a distorted image emerges.

But for me, the fact that I can call God, Father, blows me away. The fact that God desires that sort of closeness and intimacy is just amazing. Further that He wants and desires to be my Father, and as a result has brought me into His family where I’m now an heir to His kingdom! And all this for someone as sinful as I am blows my mind.

As I was reading Psalm 103, I saw a beautiful picture of our heavenly Father’s heart towards us that I would like to share this morning.

It begins by saying that the Father’s heart towards His children is a giving heart.  

A Giving Heart

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” (Psalm 103:2 NKJV)

David is telling us not to forget the benefits of God’s gracious dealings with His people. In the Bible, God continually tells His people not to forget the things they’ve seen Him do, the wonders and miracles He performed, His giving of the law and covenants, and especially His grace and mercy.

You see, as a Father, God gives us nothing but the best. The Apostle James says, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” (James 1:17 NKJV)

Jesus said that if we who are evil know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13).

Next, the Psalmist points out that since God has a giving heart, His heart is one that is full of forgiveness.

A Forgiving Heart

“Who forgives all your iniquities.” (Psalm 103:3a NKJV)

Forgiveness has always been at the heart of God, and it’s in this forgiveness that He promises His New Covenant relationship with us. And we see this though what He said to the prophet Jeremiah. He said  “I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34b NKJV)

We see God’s forgiving heart in the prophet Micah’s declaration.

“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19 NKJV)

What a remarkable declaration. To pardon means to release from the penalty due for an offense. Think of it as standing before a judge and you’ve been found guilty of a crime, but instead of sentencing you, he pardons you and sets you free. And that is exactly what God the Father does, because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins upon the cross.

But even further, what this literally it means is that God lifts us up and bears us upon his shoulders that is He carries our sins, which is exactly what the Messiah was prophesied to do, and which Jesus did.