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Of Fathers and SonsSample

Of Fathers and Sons

DAY 2 OF 7

Today’s analogy is: “A good father helps his son grow into a man.”

It was a warm summer day when I took my son biking up the hill for the first time.  He was a great biker... on the flats.  But his little legs were unaccustomed to long uphill pedals.  Here’s how it went, from his perspective:

“This is too hard!”

“I’ll never make it up there!”

“I’m tipping… I’m falling!”

And here’s how it went from my perspective:

“He’s ready for this  I know he’ll feel great when he makes it.”

“It’ll be a challenge for him, but I’ll be right here beside him.”

“Oops he’s a little unsteady; I’ll just give him a little push.”

“He’s doing great!”

As you can imagine, we made it safely to the top. For me, the outcome was never in doubt: I knew he was ready for it and I knew I’d help him all the way up.  But as I was helping him up the hill, I suddenly laughed at myself when I realized how often I feel exactly like my son, struggling through some trial or challenge in my own life.  Here’s what I learned:

  1. God knows what I need and what I’m capable of better than I do.  He will never push me too hard:  (1 Corinthians 10:13)
  2. God does sometimes push me out of my comfort zone;  God is tolerant of my fears but not indulgent: (Exodus 3:7-14, 4:10-15)
  3. God loves me far more than I love my own son; he’s more sure to help me than I am to help my own son:  (Luke 11:11-13)

As you consider these passages, remember that God loves you too much not to help you grow.

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About this Plan

Of Fathers and Sons

Are you a father? Want to know more about God, your heavenly Father? I’d love to share with you some recent lessons I learned from interacting with my young son. If you’re a dad yourself you’ll probably relate to these stories. As you read, you’ll see the analogy in each story and feel the power of God as your Father. Then let the daily Bible readings drive the lessons home.

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