ay 6 encourages us to make sure we have a true view of our Father in heaven.

Day 6 - A Grand Man

For Father's Day one year I wrote a tribute to my dad. As I recalled various memories of him over the years, I realized what an impact he has had on my life. I wrote this song to go with the tribute to let him know that even though my kids call him Grandpa Bob, he’s more than a grandpa. He’s a Grand Man.

We all, like Jesus, had an earthly father who raised us. But we all, like Jesus, have a heavenly Father as well. The difference between the two can be, at times, like night and day. As a father to my own children, I am fully aware that no father on earth is perfect! But our heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

Many people, whether they recognize it or not, often view God in the same way they view their earthly father. While sometimes this image we have of God is good, other times it is distorted, and sometimes it is flat-out wrong.

I’d like to encourage you to get to know the God of the Bible, a Father who is good to all and has compassion on all He has made. The Bible says that God is "gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love" (Psalm 145:8-9). Does that sound like a dad you’d like to get to know better?

At the same time, the God of the Bible disciplines us because of His great love for us. "Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness" (Hebrews 12:10). Would you like a dad who disciplines you for your own good, and trains you in ways that will bring you peace?

That is the kind of Father we have in heaven. He’s the same Father that Jesus called on every time He went to pray. Jesus says that we are His brothers, and that His Father is our Father (Matthew 28:10-12, John 20:17). If you need a fresh view of your heavenly Father, I’d like to encourage you to come to Him in the pages of the Bible. Take a look at the ways God was a good Father to Christ. In the same way, He’ll be a good Father to you, too.

Let Me Pray for You

Lord, I pray for those who need to know You as their Father. I pray You would show them what You are like, and that You would correct any wrong thinking they may have about You. And Lord, as they come to see You as You are, I pray they would be filled with the confidence and joy that comes from knowing they are Your child. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Take Time in His Word

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).

• Read Matthew 7:9-11. How does God compare to earthly fathers in this passage?
• Read Hebrews 12:5-11. How does God compare to earthly fathers in this passage?
• Read John 5:19. Why was it important for Jesus to know His Father well?

Take Time in Prayer

Listen to the song A Grand Man. Take a minute to thank God for being your Father. Ask Him to make right any of the wrong thoughts you might have about Him as your Father.

After You Pray

God calls us to "‘Honor your father and your mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise – ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth’"  (Ephesians 6:2-3). When I wrote a tribute to my dad, it was a great blessing to me as well as to him. I found that the Bible was true when it said that honoring our father and mother is the first commandment with a promise. Honoring our parents is good for them – and good for us. If your parents are still alive, you may want to ask God if there’s something you can do to honor them. Then watch the blessings of God pour out on each of you.