Mike Shindruk
I’m sure that most of us growing up were told just wait till your father gets home. When we misbehaved, that was the ultimate weapon of choice by our mothers to scare us into line. For the most part it worked.
As we got older and requests got a bit more complicated, we would often hear, ”ask your father.” Now this was either a way to say no, or share the responsibility of a household decision. It could be a daughter asking to go on a date, or a son asking for a few dollars. Ultimately, there were times when we had to go dad. Depending on the father of the house, this was either easy and comfortable, or intimidating and fearful.
As I began reading the Bible through this month, beginning with the Old Testament, I am already seeing where God has had to bring serious correction to His children who disobeyed Him. Many of the scriptures portray God as a father to be feared, always. As I read I can understand the mindset, as I poured through Genesis 6-7 about Noah and the great flood. Those times were tumultuous, to say the least. It wasn’t until the New Testament and the new covenant with Jesus that we see that our Father is a loving God. Don’t get me wrong, He’ll bring swift correction just like our earthy fathers, but for the most part we can ask Him for anything.
It is our invitation to have a relationship with Him that makes it so easy to come to the Father with every need and want, without fear. God showed us how much He loved us by sacrificing His son, Jesus, so we may be free. I feel just as comfortable going to Him as I did to my earth father for anything. There wasn’t anything I couldn’t ask for or speak about with my dad, and there isn’t anything I can’t ask for or speak to about with my Heavenly Father. I encourage everyone, that if you’re beginning this new year with wants, needs, troubles, questions, then just go ask your Father. Speak to Him as you would your own dad, or our pastor. He’s left us an instruction manual to use as a study guide. He’s put people in our life who are willing to teach us where to find answers. He’s also given us His toll free number to call whenever we want or need to. So, if you are in need of something today, go ask your Father.
Mike Shindruk
Master’s Hand Ministry
