PSALMS 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. 3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
Hey...children are a reward? Notice tho, our text does mention that you probably ought to have ’em in your youth (not sure about a quiver full of ’em, tho....). Today is Father’s Day, and there are many different descriptions and meanings for a Father. Here are some things that men say that I will attempt to translate for the women here today...taken from THE MEN’S THESAURUS (men don’t always say what they mean) – ladies, please allow me to translate for your future benefit:
When a man says “IT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN” He means: "I have no idea how it works"
When a man says "TAKE A BREAK, HONEY. YOU ARE WORKING TOO HARD’’He means: "I can’t hear the game over the vacuum cleaner"
When a man says ’THAT’S INTERESTING DEAR.’He means: "Are you still talking?"
When a man says: "IT’S A GUY THING"He means: "There is no rational thought pattern connected with this, and you have no chance at all of making it logical"
When a man says "CAN I HELP WITH DINNER" He means: "Why isn’t it ready yet?"
When a man says "UH HUH, SURE HONEY,” or “YES, DEAR" He means: Absolutely nothing – It’s a conditioned response.
When a man says "YOU KNOW HOW BAD MY MEMORY IS." He means: " I can remember the theme song to ‘Hogan’s Heroes’, the phone # of the first girl I ever kissed & the vehicle identification numbers of every car I ever owned – but yes, I forgot your birthday"
When a man says ’OH, DON’T FUSS, I JUST CUT MYSELF. IT’S NO BIG DEAL" He means: "I have probably severed a limb, but I will bleed to death before I admit I’m hurt, so get over here and help me!"
When a man says ’I CAN’T FIND IT.’’ He means: "It didn’t fall into my outstretched hand, so I’m completely clueless"
When a man says “I HEARD YOU.” He means: "I haven’t the foggiest clue what you just said and I am hoping desperately that I can fake it well enough so that you’ll not spend the next 3 days yelling at me."
When a man says "YOU KNOW I COULD NEVER LOVE ANYONE ELSE" He means: "I am used to the way you yell at me and realize it could be worse."
When a man says "YOU LOOK TERRIFIC!" He means: "Oh please don’t try on one more outfit, we’re late and I’m starving."
When a man says "I’M NOT LOST. I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE.’’ He means: "No one will ever see us alive again."
When a man says “I don’t think I can go today.” He means: Shopping is NOT a sport, and no, I am never going to think of it that way.
When a man says, “I don’t remember saying that.” It’s because he means: “Anything I may have said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all past comments become null and void after 7 days.”
When a man says, “that’s not what I meant.” He means: “If something I said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, I meant the other one.
Dads are very different from Moms.....we have to be the "strong, unemmotional one"...even tho things may be falling to pieces, we are expected to always be the one to be able to make good, rational decisions instead of those "emmotional" ones that Moms make. We are to provide for our families...matter of fact, 1 TIM 5:8If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. INFIDEL???
So, does this mean that we are forever to provide for our kids? Is that what God would have us to do? Certainly we want to help our kids out...When my children were born, I wish they would have come with an owners manual....so much I didn’t know (still don’t). So where can we get a good example of what a Father should be? What do we call God? What is the Trinity made up of? The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost....so let’s see how God handles "parenting"....cause He IS our Heavenly Father! First, let’s establish what God intended for man....
GEN 1:26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
See, ladies....God trusted us so much that He gave us dominion over every living thing! He had high hopes for us, didn’t He? He even trusted us to name the animals....Look at 2:18And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Hey, we even named woman!!!
There is no question that God loves us all very much as His children. He has great patience.....definitely something a Dad needs...PSALMS 145:8The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. Sometimes as a Dad, we are QUICK to anger..too much so. Dad’s aren’t like God in that they aren’t perfect. We can and do make mistakes. I wish that I could have a lot of do-overs with my boys....a lot of things I would do differently if I could. I regret those mistakes, but it makes me strive even harder today to be the best example I can for my sons.
Most Fathers here today, tho, ARE compassionate. We would do anything for our kids! And that may not always be the right thing to do. Do you know that Dads get so carried away at their little kids baseball games that they attack the coaches, refs, and even each other sometimes? Or go have it out at the school because they don’t think their kids are being treated fairly? Is that being protective or just plain stupid. Even when our kids may be in the wrong, we will still fight for them. You see, it is a Fathers job to provide an example for His children. We don’t always do a good job of that, do we?
How does God handle it when His kids make mistakes? His love for us as His children can never fail.....but I don’t see Him going out to confront someone someone else over His childrens mistake. He confronts us. He realizes that we are the ones responsible for whatever mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. He is there to provide love and support.....but whenever you struggle trying to get out of a mess you’ve gotten yourself into, it’s because God wants you to learn a lesson. He sometimes even disciplines you DEUT 8:5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. HEB 12:6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." If you are disobedient to God, you get punished. Can we all agree here today that one of the reasons the world is in the shape it’s in is because of the lack of disciple? Earthly Fathers are failing miserably in this regard. Fathers, here is a scripture I want you to take away from here today, if nothing else sticks...
JOSHUA 24:15....But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Fathers, you have a right to decide what happens in your house. Not only a right, but a responsibility to God and your family.EPH 6:1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; 3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. 4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Most parents like to concentrate on the first part of that text....I want to draw your attention to the last part...bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
In my case, I was brought up that way....then I strayed. But that was on me, not my parents. Some of you may have NOT been brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord like you should have been (my children included). That is my personal BIGGEST regret....but when you are grown, it’s on YOU. No longer can any of us blame bad childhoods or bad parenting after we reach that age where we move out, get married...have our own kids...It’s now YOUR turn to be the Father...the head of the house. Not in a domineering, egotistical way, but in a gentle, loving way. It’s your time to provide for your family, to discipline the kids, to be the example that God expects you to be. Anything less means you don’t love them as much as you claim to.
When you constantly bail your kids out, when you don’t set Godly standards that are strictly followed in your home, you are not being the example God wants you to be. If you condone your childs bad behaviour by supporting it unconditionally, then you are not only failing God, but failing your child as well. Men, if you have children or step-children......be the example!
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