VIA WAY
FATHERS DAY, 2022
PSALMS 127; 3-5
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.
A FATHER AND HIS SON SPEND THE DAY FISHING. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE FATHER TALKS TO HIS FRIEND, HIS SON IS TALKING TO HIS FRIEND AT THE SAME TIME. HERE ARE THE TWO CONVERSATIONS.
THE DAD’S FRIEND ASKS; HOW WAS YOUR DAY? FATHER SAYS, ABSOLUTELY LOUSY. GOT UP THIS MORNING AND TRAILER HAD A FLAT TIRE, HAD TO FIX IT. PUT US BEHIND. GOT TO THE LAKE AND HAD TROUBLE LAUNCHING THE BOAT. THEN THE MOTOR DIDN’T WANT TO RUN RIGHT, ENDED UP HAVING TO ROW. THEN IT RAINED AND WE GOT SOAKED. THEN IT WARMED UP AND THE MOSQUITOES STARTED BITING. BUT THE FISH WOULDN’T BITE ANYTHING THAT WE TOSSED OUT. MISERABLE DAY. THE SON’S FRIEND ASKS; HOW WAS YOUR DAY? THE BOY HAS A GRIN FROM EAR TO EAR.
ABSOLUTELY GREAT DAY. ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE. I GOT TO SPEND IT WITH MY DAD.
I FIND FATHERS DAY TO BE AN INTERESTING DAY AS FAR AS THE CHURCH IS CONCERNED. WE MAKE A MAJOR THING OUT OF MOTHERS DAY, IT IS NOW THE SECOND OR THIRD HIGHEST ATTENDED SUNDAY IN THE YEAR, BEHIND EASTER AND CHRISTMAS. BUT FATHERS DAY IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STORY. I THINK THAT THERE ARE REASONS FOR THIS; THE NUMBER OF FATHERLESS HOMES. THERE ALSO SEEMS TO BE SOME THOUGHT IN MANY PEOPLES MINDS THAT DAD HAS DROPPED THE BALL. SADLY, THIS IS TRUE FAR TOO OFTEN. WE CAN EITHER CURSE THE DARKNESS OR LIGHT A CANDLE. I WANT TO LIGHT A CANDLE TODAY.
SCRIPTURE HAS SOME THINGS TO SAY TO AND ABOUT DAD. ONE OF MY FAVORITE PASSAGES IS PSALMS 127. WE READ VS 3-5, BUT TO REALLY BEGIN RIGHT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT VS ONE. IT SAYS, Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS IS THIS; IF
YOUR HORIZONTAL IS RIGHT, THEN YOUR VERTICAL WILL BE RIGHT AS WELL. IF YOUR HORIZONTAL IS MESSED UP, THEN GUESS WHAT? YOUR VERTICALS WILL BE TOO. IF YOU ARE RIGHT WITH GOD, THEN IT FOLLOWS THAT THE REST WILL BE RIGHT. IF GOD BUILDS YOUR HOUSE, THEN YOUR HOUSE WILL BE BUILT RIGHT. IF SOMEONE ELSE BUILDS YOUR HOUSE THEY OR YOU DO SO IN VAIN. SO, FIRST THING DAD IS THIS; MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CONTRACTOR IS GOD. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE USING HIS BLUE PRINTS.
SONS ARE A HERITAGE. THEY ARE AN INHERITANCE. NOT AN EARTHLY INHERITANCE, BUT AN INHERITANCE FROM GOD. CHILDREN ARE A REWARD. MY MOTHER USED TO SAY TO ME, I HOPE THAT WHEN YOU GROW UP AND HAVE KIDS, YOU HAVE SIX AND THEY ALL TURN OUT JUST LIKE YOU. I DON’T THINK THAT THIS IS THE REWARD THAT SCRIPTURE IS TALKING ABOUT HERE.
CHILDREN ARE TO BE LIKE ARROWS. SOME OF YOU HUNT WITH A BOW, I USED TO, BUT NOT ANY MORE. YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF ARROWS.
DIFFERENT LENGTHS, DIFFERENT WEIGHTS, DIFFERENT FEATHERING, DIFFERENT HEADS. THE SAME IS TRUE OF CHILDREN. IF YOU LOOK AT MY CHILDREN, THEY ARE ALL UNIQUE. SO ARE YOURS. THEY EACH HAVE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES. AS A FATHER, WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT DIFFERENT IS NOT BAD. IF YOUR SON DOESN’T TURN OUT LIKE YOU, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING, IN FACT FOR SOME OF US, THAT MIGHT BE A REALLY GOOD THING. I ALWAYS WANTED ONE OF MY CHILDREN TO PLAY FOOTBALL. OUR DAUGHTER AMSY WAS CAPTAIN OF HER TEAM IN COLLEGE. HER TEAM PLAYED FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN THEIR LEAGUE. OUR CHILDREN ARE ARROWS.
NOW NOTICE, THAT FIRST THEY ARE ARROWS IN OUR HANDS. THAT IS B/C AN ARROW IN THE HAND IS READY TO BE USED IN BATTLE. OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE HANDS ON. WE NEED TO SHOW THEM, WE NEED TO MODEL FOR THEM. OUR KIDS ARE WATCHING EACH AND EVERY MOVE WE MAKE.
NEXT, BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE QUIVER IS FULL. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE HOUSE IS FULL OF ARROWS.
I DON’T KNOW HOW MANY ARROWS YOU HAVE IN YOUR QUIVER, BUT EACH ONE IS IMPORTANT.
HERE IS WHAT I FIND MOST IMPORTANT. DAD YOU NEED TO SHOOT YOUR KIDS. WELL NOT LITERALLY. BUT, YOU HAVE THESE ARROWS THAT WE CALL CHILDREN, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO AIM THEM AT THE TARGET, AND THEN HIT THE BULLS EYE WITH THEM. YOU NEED TO GIVE THEM DIRECTION IN THEIR LIVES.
HARRY CHAPIN DID A SONG CALLED CATS IN THE CRADLE. THE ESSENCE OF THE SONG IS; THROUGH OUT THE LIFE OF HIS SON, DAD WAS TOO BUSY FOR HIS SON. AND THE SON KEEPS SAYING, I AM GOING TO BE LIKE HIM. FINALLY, WHEN THE FATHER REACHES RETIREMENT, HE WANTS THE SON IN HIS LIFE, BUT; THE SON HAD GROWN UP JUST LIKE HIM, TOO BUSY.
OUR CHILDREN ARE PRECIOUS ARROWS. THEY NEED YOUR HAND IN THEIR LIVES. AND IN PARTICULAR IN SPIRITUAL MATTERS. THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
