Sho Baraka - Talented 10thSample

[The video portion of this devotional is not available on your device. To view this video, visit your plan at www.youversion.com] Michael (Fathering the Fatherless) By Dhati Lewis “My hood needs more fathers and less bachelors...” That line touches on one of the most important and devastating issues of the times: fatherlessness. The amount of inner city households being led by women has reached epidemic proportions. It should come as no surprise then that the prison, death and abortion rates in these cities are just as high. But what I’ve realized is that no matter what part of town you were raised in, whether your father was present growing up or absent throughout your childhood, the majority of us have father wounds. For many years of my life, my father was an integral part of our family, and when I became an adult, he also played a major role in stirring me on in my relationship with the Lord. But, I can also recall the absent years. The games he missed, the affair that ruined our family, and the “well done” I didn’t get to hear when I needed affirmation. Despite the good times we shared, He still fell short. But reading Hebrews 12:9,10 gave me a new outlook on my father and fathers in general. “...we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.” What I gleaned from this text was that my father, your father, the fathers who’ve abandoned their sons, did what seemed best to them. In other words, they did the best they could. But the reality is, neither their best nor my best (as a father) will ever be enough. And while I am not giving deadbeat dads a pass, what I am saying is that ultimately, the balm that will heal all of our father wounds and the solvent to this fatherless crisis is found in the person and work of Jesus who introduces us to the Heavenly Father whom acts for our good and brings about change in our lives. Big brother programs and setting good examples as men are good, but healing and wholeness in our cities and our own lives will only come by one means: the Gospel. Jesus points us to this everlasting restoration as He repeatedly emphasizes His connection to the Father in the Gospels. He proclaims Himself as the Son of God to express the unique relationship that He has with God and our ability to have access to that same Father (John 14:6). Paul draws this out in Romans 8:15 when he says, “[You] have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” Abba is an Aramaic word which means "daddy" or "papa." So, what Paul is saying is that when you accept Jesus as your Savior, you are adopted into God’s family. You become God’s child and He becomes your Heavenly Father. Yet, while His heavenly positioning shows His authority, strength and sovereignty as a Father, He desires such a personal intimacy that you can call Him Abba. God wants you to see Him as your daddy. He fearfully and wonderfully made you. He disciplines you for your good, and He will never leave you or forsake you. He is the Father you have always wanted, and the one that we all need. Not only must we preach this message to the fatherless and the wounded to give them hope in a Heavenly Father, but this Gospel must also be preached to all men. God wants us all to experience this intimate relationship that will change us and empower us to change the world. Boys enter into this relationship and leave as men. The hurt bring their wounds and we are healed. And fathers do their best, but trust in the Heavenly Father’s ability and desire to guide us as dads, while being the ultimate Dad that we can point our children to. The truth is, God is so gracious that He has been fathering us for a long time; we just haven’t had the eyes to see it. Let this serve as an introduction to Abba. No more bastards.