Daily Thought for Friday, June 17th - Happy Father's Day

June 17 2011

A Tribute To Fathers

Today’s Thought:

“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.   But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” – Mark Twain

Today’s Quote:

“The children despise their parents until the age of forty, when they suddenly become just like them – thus preserving the system.   (By the time a man realizes that his father was usually right, he has a son who thinks he’s usually wrong.” – Quentin Crewe

Today’s Question

Did you know: “Children aren’t happy with nothing to ignore, And that’s what parents were created for?” – Ogden Nash

Today’s Bible Verses:                   Psalms 127:3-5 & Proverbs 20:7

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“If you have never been hated by your child, you have never been a parent.”

- Bette Davis

Fathers have a difficult job.  They are charged with the responsibility of not provoking their children to wrath, while, at the same time instilling in them the values and character qualities that will enable that young life to grow up to be a respectable adult.

Other than God the Father, I think one of the most prolific examples of Fatherhood in the Bible is Abraham.  Abraham had a son, Isaac, in his old age.  Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac came along.  Isaac was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, yet when God required of Abraham to take Isaac and offer him, on an alter, as a sacrifice; Abraham didn’t miss a beat.  Now I’m sure Isaac was not too fond of his Dad when he not only had carried the wood up the mountain but was told by his father that he was to be the sacrifice.

However Abraham demonstrated the greatest character quality any Father could hope to have.  He was committed to God with all his heart, mind and soul and he was willing to give His son to God for whatever God had in store for him.

To succeed in these perilous times as Father’s that is what we need to do too.

We need to be sold out to God completely and we need to surrender our children to God fully.

And as children we need to remember that sometimes Father knows best.

As children we need to keep this teaching from scripture in mind:

“For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” – The Bible (Mark 7:10-13)

Happy Father’s Day!

Today’s Prayer:

Father, thank you for Dads and what they teach us, even when we don’t want to listen.