Daily Encouragement (1/18/22) "A Father To The Fatherless"
Published: Tue, 01/18/22
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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These Amish boys are headed to a frozen pond for some ice hockey!
"A Father To The Fatherless"
Message summary: Today we want to encourage those of you who have had a difficult relationship with your father and pray that you might experience the loving care of your heavenly Father. Listen to this message on your audio player.
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:5,6).
![]() But far too many have not had this kind of experience. ![]() "I remember in school how they would have you draw your family tree. Mine was a family shrub. I have had three dads in my life.
Dad #1 disappeared from my life when my mom and he divorced when I was a preschooler. It wasn’t until nearly two decades later that I was reunited with him. Dad #2 was a helicopter pilot and was killed in action when I was in elementary school. Dad #3 was an attorney for an oil company. As a high schooler, I looked up to him as a mentor until we found out the truth about his secret life. He had multiple affairs. Mom was devastated and reached out to my uncle to confront him in front of his weekend family. As we drove through the neighborhood, Dad #3 was in the driveway and with a look of panic, directed us to meet him down the road. When we arrived in a nearby parking lot, he came running towards us. I warned my uncle that he knew karate. That is when my uncle opened up the trunk and grabbed the tire iron. Mom saw this was heading in the wrong direction and pleaded with my uncle to let him go. As Dad #3 ran away, we were left in that parking lot with feelings of anger, betrayal, and loss. But we were in the parking lot of a church…. My mom went inside and through a brief conversation she was encouraged to give it all to Jesus. Her life was changed that day. Six months later I became a Christian." Tim and Tom have had different experiences regarding their earthly fathers but now both serve the same heavenly Father.
Tom's story calls to mind a characteristic concerning God in today's verse: "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:5,6).
![]() God chooses to relate to us in terms we all understand—terms of the family. Family is God's design for the foundation of society. God embodies the characteristics of both a father and a mother (Isaiah 66:12–13), yet presents Himself as heavenly Father. When we put our faith in Jesus, we become children of God (John 1:12–13) and He is our Father. Jesus Himself taught us to call on God as Father in the Lord's Prayer. Whether we've had a good earthly father or not, we know what a good father should be and what a good father should do. God gave us an innate understanding of and a universal need for a good father—the need to be protected, loved, guided, valued, even disciplined. And God will fulfill that role in our lives if we let Him. No one must be truly fatherless, because God is the perfect Father and He made provision for everyone to become a child of His. The Bible repeatedly singles out orphans (those without father or mother) and widows as especially in need of His attention, and the attention and care of His church. God will care for those who have no earthly families. He does this directly, but also many times uses the body of believers, our spiritual family, to provide care. ![]() Today we want to encourage those of you who have had a difficult relationship with your father and pray that you might experience the loving care of your heavenly Father.
Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber ![]() Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Good Good Father" Video Housefires
"Father to the Fatherless" Video We Are Anthem
"Father of the Fatherless" Video Jason Upton
How is God a Father to the fatherless? (article cited in our message from the Compelling Truth teaching website)
![]() "In personally answering the "who's next" question, there is no fear because we have put our faith in Jesus, and have Him as our Saviour, and we trust Him to hold us up through our walk in, and with Him on this earth."
Hopefully, our readers know that many believers in Nigeria are facing brutal persecution. Just last week many were killed for their faith. Sunday's confession of assurance is so touching in light of this. As we were praying this morning we lifted up a 19 year old girl who was beaten with a machete and has been recovering in a hospital for many weeks. We also considered that those who choose to follow Jesus in persecuted lands do not have the
same story as Tim who came from a "snuggly" Christian family where each member pursues Christ and encourages other family members to do as well. We are privileged and we should never take it for granted, but we should instead uplift those who are not so privileged and yet are willing to lay down their lives for the gospel, even when it means being forsaken by their own family members.
Regarding my makeshift mailbox repair: Duke, a thoughtful reader from Delaware, gave me a link to a "Heavy Duty Fence Post Anchor Ground Spike" to repair my mailbox that was knocked over in a snow storm earlier this month. I told him that it's very cold here now and I will probably wait for a warmup to work on it. In the meantime I sort of like the redneck repair look!
![]() In the message we mentioned Ross Morrison and his son, Tim, who looks and sounds so much like his dad. Nine years ago Tim and Liz joined us for a cookout at our home. We visit Tim in the course of our chaplaincy at White Oak Display and will see him today. Tim has ministry training and background and is active in his home church. It's interesting when you know someone only in the context of their daily work how much more there is to their personality and giftings when you see them apart from the workplace! It's one cold day, so the coats, scarves, gloves and blankets are especially appreciated on this open air drive.
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