What does it take to make a Dad?
Psalm 128:1 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.
It seems over the years that it has been the wife that has been the spiritual leader in the family but, the Bible leans toward the man as the spiritual leader and head of the household. 1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God
Head of means direction, not in slaved to. God has ordained 3 things here in these verses. The family, the government, the church. The oldest, and greatest of these institutions is the family. The church is a great institution, but is only as great as its families. Our nation is great, though it has been much greater, but it is only as great as the amount of Godly standards the families have been taught and kept through generations.
Today the world has a dim view of what God established as a family. The world sees a modern family as two homosexuals raising a child together and calling it a family...God calls it immoral and an abomination to Him. The problem with man’s institutions today is, there is no fear of God anymore. Whatever man sets up and establishes as an institution without God....it becomes corrupted.
God does not bless those who are outside of His design for the family no more than He blesses the corruption in a government or the church.
So then, who and what does God bless? In verse 1 of Psalm 128 the Bibles says, Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. Of course God blesses everyone who fears Him but then the Psalmist makes his statement to the man in verse 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.
Also in Psalm 112 Psalm 112:1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
As young Dads it seems our goal was to work hard and have the best for our family and that's fine and the way it should be but, a lot of times we as men miss the real blessings of life in our young age and those real blessings began to come into focus in our later years. As young Dads it also seems we had all the answers to life but, as we get older, we see that we never will. You can be born a male, but it takes maturity to be a man. You’re young only once, but you can be immature forever. I am talking about being a real, masculine, Godly, Biblical man. One who looks to God for guidance and direction for his family.
The Bible says in Psalm 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. That means that it is our responsibility as a Dad is to point our children in the right direction. It was Eve who took that first bite but, it was Adam who God came looking for.
It's also the job of us Grand Dads to tell our Grand Children about the goodness and mercy of Christ. The Bible says in Proverbs 17:6 Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers. The child looks to their Dad, but the Grand Dad looks back to the grandchild; that is where his affection is. You can never understand that until God blesses you and allows you to experience such a blessing as grandchildren.
What does it take to make a Dad? It takes fearing the Lord first and then seek Him for the direction for his family.
Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller www.themillersbiblestudy.com
