God Is Not Moving on Without You

All of us have different experiences with our dads. Some good, some not so good. But what unites us is the desire that’s woven deeply into our souls — the need to be loved, and treasured, and noticed, and accepted by our father. No matter our age or how defiantly we may try to dismiss the craving that’s in our hearts for a father’s blessing, we all need it and feel incomplete without it.

It’s no coincidence that Scripture’s most common descriptor of God is as a Father. His posture toward His children is merciful, abundant, and welcoming. Over the next few days, let’s examine some of the promises God made as a Father to those who have accepted His grace and love. Though people on earth will inevitably fail us, we can count on our Perfect Father to bless His children to the fullest.

Know this — the God of Heaven is not moving on without you. He’s not walking out on you or trying to inflict pain on you. I know that even mentioning this need for a father’s approval might be problematic for you, striking a nerve close to the surface or tapping into a hurt you tried to bury eighty feet underground, and you’re thinking, I don’t want to go there. It’s also possible that although you’re just starting this plan, you realize the issues with your dad are more real than you’d like to admit. Maybe the walls are already rising around your heart. On the other hand, some of you had great fathers, and you know what it’s like to live in the rays of a father’s blessing, the marvelous light of a father’s love. If that’s the story of your life’s journey, that’s something to celebrate and be grateful for, but don’t toss this devotional aside thinking it’s not for you. I promise there’s a great reward waiting for you in these five days as you discover more of what it means to be a loved son or daughter of the King.

The greatest likelihood is that many of you have never known the blessing — or the full blessing — of your earthly dad. What’s worse, some of you are stuck with the fact that the possibility of ever hearing your dad say, "I love you and I’m proud of you," is gone — washed away by death or distance or disinterest.

The blessing you long for is mired in a pit of regret, pain, or abandonment. This is your reality, and there’s little or nothing you can do to change it. You feel like it’s too late.

All of us have different experiences with our dads. But what unites us is the need that’s woven into our souls — the need to be loved, and treasured, and noticed, and accepted by our father. No matter how defiantly we may try to dismiss the craving that’s in our hearts for a father’s blessing, we still need it. Deep down we all simply must have it. We all are incomplete without it. Our lives move on and we grow into adults (maybe even parents ourselves), but the need for a father’s approval is always there.

God is a Father, but He’s not the same as your earthly dad. His heart is good, and His arms are strong. While your life story to date may be a tangled mess of betrayal, disappointment, and defeat, history records that the God of Heaven is for you. He made you. He sees you. And He wants you to know the joy of being a child of God and of having the most excellent father possible. He Himself wants to be your Father, and He wants to shower you with His blessing. He wants to raise you up, show you the ropes, help you grow strong, and cheer you on as you pursue your God-given passion. He wants to put a safety net of His love under you so you can spread your wings and take flight without the crippling fear of failure holding you down.