“Dad, Are You There?” - Ahava Love Letter (Steve Martin)

“Dad, Are You There?”

"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. "He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6 NASU

Dear family of friends,

Many of us have been desperate for a father’s love. Sure, we know mom always loved us, but sometimes we wonder if dad did (or does). With all the time spent on his job, going about taking care of the cares of the world, he may have had little time for the family. Or me. Or you.

If he did, it may have been spent sitting in the same room watching the football game or some comedy show, as he fell asleep from exhaustion. I get it. As a father, I have done my share of that with my own kids.

But at the same time the connection I needed with my father may not have been what my heart longed for. I mean, sometimes I really didn’t know who he was, or what he wanted. Sometimes I just needed some affirmation from him, but it rarely came.

My dad did what he knew to do – work hard, provide for the family, keep the bills paid. Growing up without a father himself, being his dad died when he was only five, I am sure that model he needed just wasn’t there for him. His big brother didn’t fill the same void that his own father was meant to.

As I pressed on in my daily walk with our Lord Jesus, year by year, I became more aware of the heavenly Father’s ever present Spirit in my life. Even if I did not know it at the time, He was there, even as my earthly father could not be. I have come to realize that God the Father has encouraged me, filled the void I longed to have been made full, and showed me the path along which to walk. My heavenly Father has always been there. It just took me a long time to realize that.

Jesus (Yeshua) continually pointed to the Father. The relationship He had with His Dad is the same one He wants us to have with the same heavenly Dad. We are to know of His arms around us, His providing that meal, His speaking into our hearts the way we are to go.

In these days of absent fathers, earthly dads who know not how to raise kids, or model the Father’s love in practical ways that are needed, my heart is to see the Father’s love expressed in tangible ways, and help fill the much needed void empty hearts have. Learning to express His affirmation, His provision, His protection from the ways of the world is now my heart’s desire. I pray that I can express through me what He, God the Father, truly wants for each of His kids.

“You are the best, Father. Thank you for leading us to You. May Your godly men instruct Your kids of Your eternal love, that we can know and experience each and every day. Even today.”

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People

P.S. At my fulltime accounting job, a young black man, maybe in his late 30’s or early 40’s, continually calls me Dad. I am not sure why, being I am Caucasian. (I do know that he is separated or divorced and has kids.) But I think it is because he has not known a father’s love himself, and he has seen a part of God the Father’s love in me for him. My heart goes out to him, and I try to express the Father’s love to him as I can.

P.S. S. One of my all-time favorite worship songs is sung by Don Moen, entitled “Wonderful, Magnificent God”* I have added the lyrics here, as it helps express my love for God, my Father.

Verse 1:

At Your feet I bow
There is none like You
For all that I have found
All I want is You
For all the wonders You do
And all that You are
What I can bring to You
I offer my heart

Chorus:

Wonderful magnificent God
I'm humbled by the life You gave
Beautiful Redeemer You are
Worthy of my highest praise

(Repeat Verse 1 and Chorus)[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsty.com/don-moen-wonderful-magnificent-god-lyrics.html ]
Coda:

What can we give to You o God
For everything You have given to us (3x)

We offer our lives to You o God
For everything You have given to us (3x)

(Repeat Chorus twice)

Ending:

Wonderful, You are Wonderful
Wonderful, You are WonderfulWonderful magnificent God

*(Copyright: (P) 2004 Integrity Media, Inc.)

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.

“The Father” - Ahava Love Letter (Steve Martin)

“Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.” John 5:19-20 (NASB)

Dear family of friends,

Manhood, and particularly fathers, have taken an image beating in the American culture over the last 30 or more years. We have been made to look foolish, even stupid, on a regular basis. Any TV program that is popular reminds many of that nightly.

And honestly we have, in far too many cases, had it coming, for we have been out of the picture. Men, even as making up half of the population, have basically lost the role they were created to fulfill. They let it go, and now can’t seem to get it back. I share this from my man’s perspective.

Some of this action has been the result of what one Bible teacher in the 1970’s called the “renegade male” – we abdicated our role as fathers and husbands, concentrated far too much on our daily work, and let the family grow up without the proper presence of the husbands and fathers on the scene. “Let the women do it” has resulted in that – the women have done it. For that I am thankful for, but we have surely missed the absent husbands and fathers.

Our culture has thus extremely paid the price – men and women from my generation missed the instruction and correction that fathers were to give. Without that male model in their lives, our own children have now grown up, many with no father influence in their lives at all. Maybe they see Dad now and then, but it is as if they are just another man who they know little about, or receive any love from at all, other than a material gift or two at a birthday or holiday time.

In my recent regular morning Scripture reading, I have been in the Gospel of John (Yochanan was his Hebrew name, being a Jew.) The Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) has begun to open my eyes, and my heart, to the many times Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of His Father.

Jesus had a special relationship with His Father. Of course, being they are One from all eternity (which someday we will understand, once fully in their presence) there is no separation or distance between the two.

And yet, Jesus spoke, as quoted in John 5:19-20, that His earthly mission depended upon further knowing, hearing, following and learning from His Father. And as Yeshua did that, His Father clearly showed Him what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

You know, I want that relationship with my Father too. I long to be so close to knowing God the Father, that I can walk more confidently and boldly in the tasks He has given me to do. I want that same relationship that Jesus has with His Father, Who now is also my Father in heaven.

God the Father, the One who loves us so much that He gave us His Only Son, is committed to restoring that relationship with us. We may not have received the love, encouragement and ongoing nourishment from our human limited earthly father, but we certainly can now from our Heavenly One.

I want to get to know my Father more. I hope you do too.

Ahava to my family of friends,

Steve Martin

Please share this Ahava Love Letter with your friends.

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Ahava Love Letter #83   “The Father”  ©2013 Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2013 (11/01/13 Friday at 5:30 am in Charlotte, NC)