10 Reasons God’s a Faithful Father
Before we discuss characteristics of a faithful Father, I wanted to share something exciting.
While I’m blessed to have contributed to several published anthologies and books, along with devotions and articles, this week CBN published my devotion on their website’s devotional section. I’m so grateful for this opportunity, and give Jesus all the glory and honor for using me to reach others. The devotion link is at the end of this post.
Loving. Caring. Faithful.
These words pop in my mind when I think of fathers.
And if you know anything about my story, you know my earthly father abandoned me for part of my childhood.
When my dad reappeared in my life, he was a self-proclaimed atheist. He held no belief in God, much less the idea of a heavenly Father who loves us and never leaves His children.
Yet, after sixteen years of praying for him, my dad finally believed in God and accepted Christ as Savior.
Dad passed away in 2010. So, I’m always a little tear-filled, a tad heart-broken, and a bit soul-grieved this time of year.
Because I miss so many things about my dad. I miss his presence in my life and talking to him. I miss making him a lemon pie on his birthday and Father’s Day. Oh, how I loved him.
Still, I have the honor and privilege to celebrate three fathers every year. My biological dad in heaven, Gene. And my first stepdad, Wendell.
Wendell helped raise me, and he loved me and cared for me exactly the same as his own biological daughter (my younger sister). I still get to see Wendell on occasion, chat with him by phone, and love him dearly.
Both of my earthly fathers will always have a special place in my heart. But, as we honor fathers this month, I also want to highlight my heavenly Father. He’s the third father mentioned, but first in my life.
As we celebrate fathers this month, it reminds us of God's love and care for us as our heavenly Father. #fathers Share on X10 Reasons God’s Always a Faithful Father
(1) He adopts us.
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” Ephesians 1:5, NLT.
(2) He loves big.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” 1 John 3:1a.
(3) He cares.
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7.
(4) He listens.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” 1 John 5:14-15.
(5) He stays close.
“For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?” Deuteronomy 4:7.
Faithful Father in Provision and Promise
(6) He provides.
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11.
(7) He keeps His promises.
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” Deuteronomy 7:9.
Speaking of Abraham, “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” Romans 4:20-21.
(8) He fulfills His purpose.
“I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” Psalm 57:2.
(9) He thinks about us and has our best interest in mind.
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you” Psalm 139:16-19.
God thinks about us, has our best interest in mind, and always fulfills His purpose in our life. #father Share on XFaithful Father to His Word
(10) He’s faithful to His Word and completes His work in us.
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Numbers 23:19.
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” 1 Corinthians 1:9.
This is a great verse to insert your name. God is faithful, by whom Karen was called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
God is faithful to His Word and completes His work in us. “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9 #faithful #father Share on XA Faithful Father
Read more of my father-story in A Father Who Never Leaves.
What’s your favorite way God is a faithful Father?
My Supernatural Power devotion on CBN.com.
*All verses are ESV unless noted.
*Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Legacy Linkup/Inspire Me Monday/Kingdom Bloggers/Literacy Musings/Tell His Story/Purposeful Faith/Abounding Grace/Welcome Heart/Recharge Wednesday/Porch Stories/Destination Inspiration/Worth Beyond Rubies/Tune in Thursday/Sitting Among Friends/Heart Encouragement/Embracing the Unexpected/Fresh Market Friday/Faith On Fire/Dance With Jesus and Faith and Friends.
© 2019 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Hmmm…I would suggest there’s only one reason God is a faithful Father – because that is His nature – it’s who He is! All the reasons listed here are displays of His faithfulness!
🙂
I think that’s true, Ava. But isn’t it wonderful to recount all the awesome characteristics of our heavenly Father and His faithfulness?! Hallelujah! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I read your column on CBN a few days ago, Karen, and it was marvelous, just as this one is. Yes, our heavenly Father is faithful and loving always, and we can depend on Him for all that we are and all we will become. And like you, I certainly miss my Dad, especially at this time of the year . . .
Blessings!
Hi Martha, thanks about the CBN devotional. I’m sure you do miss your dad particularly this time of year. But glad God adopted us, and loves and cares for us so tenderly. What a faithful Father! Blessings to you!
What a comfort to know He is always a good Father! He is faithful and loves us more than we can ever imagine. 🙂
He certainly does, Melissa. He loves big. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” 1 John 3:1a.
Karen, congratulations on your devotional being featured on CBN! What an honor!
I love your list of characteristics of God the Father! Each point is so special. I love to do as you suggested, insert my name in those scriptures.
Thank you, Jerralea. We have a heavenly Father who is faithful to His Word and completes His work in us. “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:9
What a great reminder, Karen. I think we all think about what it means for God to be our Father this time of year. At least I do. If only I could emulate God like you’ve outlined here. How great would our world be if dads loved their kids this way?
On a personal note, I’m glad you reconciled with your dad. That’s a huge blessing many people don’t get, let alone that he came to Jesus.
Hey Chip, While dads can strive to love their kids as God loves His children, nothing really compares to our heavenly Father. So whether our own experiences with earthly dads is wonderful, lacking, or didn’t have a relationship at all, God, the Father is not comparable. He is faithful and will get it right every time. That’s not to say fathers shouldn’t ask the Lord to help them model His fatherly attributes. What a world that would be!
And, yes, I’m thankful for a relationship with my dad and that He is now in heaven with my heavenly Father and his! Happy Father’s Day!
Congratulations Karen. Your writing is so inspiring so you deserve the recognition.
I enjoyed your list of Godly (fatherly) traits.
I appreciate your kind words and encouragement, Yvonne. Thank you. “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” Ephesians 1:5, NLT.
What a wonderful redeeming story regarding your biological father. And congratulations on the devotional. God is faithful and using your words to show His love and faithfulness, including reminding us we have a perfect Father. Thank you!
Lynn, I love to not only tell my redemption story, but also my dad’s! It’s so powerful. And I’m grateful for a faithful Father in God. He thinks about us, has our best interest in mind, and always fulfills His purpose in our life. Thnaks about the devotion and for commenting!
You covered the attributes of Father God very well!
Thanks, I love that He listens.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” 1 John 5:14-15.
As I read I thought to myself, this is my favorite quality. Then I continued and thought, no this is my favorite. And they just kept getting better! So my favorite is #10. He is faithful to His Word and completes His work in me. This means He continually directs my steps to follow the journey He laid out for me, and He keeps me in line even when I feel like veering off course, all for His glory and the benefit of His kingdom. Great verses too. What a wonderful Father we have. And I’m glad your biological dad is enjoying Heaven right now and worshiping our Lord. What a blessing it must have been to hear he was Heaven-bound. Happy Father’s Day to the men in your life, Karen.
I like that Stephen, He continually directs our steps and keeps us in line for His glory and benefit of His kingdom! Amen! Yes, so thankful my dad came to believe in God. I accepted Christ at 16 and started praying for my dad daily. 16 years later, when I was 32, my prayers were answered. Glad my dad lived his last years as a follower of Christ. Happy Father’s Day to you!
Excellent list.
I’ll be hosting a LInk-up next week on The Legacy of Men in our lives. Be sure to come by and share next Monday!
Hey Mandy, thank you. I celebrate everything about this list and our heavenly Father’s attributes. And thanks for always reminding me about your link-up. I have made a note and will be there Monday.
Karen,
Such beautiful points to ponder in this timely message. Congratulations on the publication. I’m sure God will use it to bless many.
Hugs,
Beckie
Hi Beckie, thank you about the publication. So grateful we have a heavenly Father who is loving, caring, faithful, and so much more! Hugs to you!
Hi Karen, glad to hear about your publication. I’m sure it will bless others. I wrote posts for mothers in May but decided to spend June with my Heavenly Father. So glad He adopted me.
Thanks, Becky. And yes, May is for mothers and June is for fathers, but hope we remember all the wonderful things about our heavenly Father this time of year and all year long!
Such a beautiful tribute to the fathers in your life, Karen! Each person, though flawed and imperfect, added to the joy of your life. Best of all, I love how you point us to our heavenly Father! For any earthly fatherly influence we have received that is Godly and good is only a glimpse of our true eternal heavenly Father. This is something that is a daily comfort and strength to me – remembering that I don’t have to be a perfect parent because we already have One! Thank you also, for sharing was what hurtful to you along the way in the growing up years. It helps us get through tough times when we know others have been there, too. Thank You, Abba Father, for being faithful always!
I like that, Melissa…we don’t have the be the perfect parent because we already have One!
And we can look to our heavenly Father to be the parent He wants us to be, seeking Him and pointing our children to Him. I pray the heavenly Father continues to hold the first place of Father in our lives. 🙂
Thank you for this list reminding us of the beautiful attributes of God. Father’s Day, like Mother’s Day, is often fraught with emotion. Much depends upon our relationship with the honored parent, whether we still have them with us, and many other complicated relationship issues. It’s good at this time of year to have a reminder of the perfect Father, God the Father, whose qualities easily eclipse any earthly father we may have had, whether superb or not. I copied this list to remind me daily of what a beautiful and loving Father we have. Congratulations again on your CBN post!
Melinda, the list of our heavenly Father’s attributes as “Abba” certainly isn’t exhaustive. We can celebrate the ones that come to mind and what Scripture tells us, but we can probably never list them all or ever understand His complete role as Father in our lives here on earth. I’m thankful for how He fills in where others left lack behind. Thanks for commenting and encouragement about the devotional.
For many years, God was the only father I knew. Then he blessed with with a godly step dad in my teens and reacquainted me with my birth father as an adult. He truly is a good, good Father.
Thanks for sharing your story and dad-experience, Candice. A little similar, but still different to my story. Glad, like me, you were eventually able to celebrate three fathers. 🙂
I love this reminder that God is a faithful father even when we are not faithful, or had less than stellar fathers.
Appreciate you commenting, Aryn. Grateful God is a good, good Father if our dads were less than stellar or if they were wonderful. The heavenly Father remains the most faithful either way.
My Father was absent my entire childhood and most of my adult life. So I understand how you felt. But he did return to my life while I was in my late 30’s early 40’s. He became a Christian and wanted to apologize for abandoning me and my brother. It’s an amazing story.
While it was hard for me to not have a dad growing up, it was his very absence that drove me to finding my real Father – Jesus.
My favorite verse is Psalm 103:13. “Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”
Hey Marcie, oh, what a sad story about abandonment by your dad, yet a great redemption story like my dad. So glad your dad made his way back into your life and met Jesus. And I love how you said not having a dad in childhood drove you to finding a heavenly Father. Psalm 103:13 is powerful! Thanks for sharing it!
Congratulations on getting published by CBN! I was happy to read that both of your earthly fathers have/had a special place in your life. Of course, our Heavenly Father’s love and faithfulness are perfect. We honor Him every day, not just on Fathers’ Day!
Thanks, Laurie! And, Amen! “Heavenly Father, thank you for adopting us into Your family, loving us, caring for us, providing and all the many ways You are faithful to your role as our Father. Amen.”
Really great piece, Karen. I had such a rocky relationship with my dad, who battled much mental illness and alcoholism, but he, too, found Jesus before he passed in 2017. This is a bittersweet time of year. Thankfully, we have a heavenly Father who is all we need.
Thanks, Jessica. I’m so sorry for the rocky relationship with your dad. Praise the Lord he found Jesus too before he passed away. The heavenly Father is all we need and He does heal and help us with the troubled child-father relationships we go through on this earth.
This is so beautiful! What a wonderful Father God is! I am blessed to still have my dad. But he’s 87 and becoming weaker. He still moves about, drives short distances, enjoys his family, especially his great-grandson’s hugs, and enjoys filling the bird feeder with food and watching them from the window by his recliner. I know I won’t have many more Father’s Days with him, so each one is precious to me. You did a great job with this post.
Wow, what a blessing to have your dad at 87, Anneliese! Thank you, I pray your Father’s Day with your dad this year is special as you celebrate together! And that we continue to recognize how blessed we are to call God, “Abba, Father.”
Your ten points are so wonderful. Such a great post for Father’s Day!
Thank you, Ava. I’m grateful for all these and more from our heavenly Father who is a father unmatched in any way.
Love all the Scriptures showing how God is truly a faithful Father. Such wonderful reminders of His love, grace and mercy.
Appreciate you stopping by and taking time to comment. Such comforting attributes from our heavenly Father. So glad He genuinely cares for us. “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7.
I was just reading and praying through the verse in Ephesians 6 that says we are to pray in the Spirit with all kinds of prayers and requests. That made me realize that if we are told to pray like that, then that must mean God loves to listen to all kinds of prayers and requests. Reading your article reminded me of that once again. How amazing it is that the God who sits on the throne of the universe loves to listen to our prayers!
I like that thought, Emily…”God loves to listen to all kinds of prayers and requests.” That makes Him such a loving, caring and faithful Father to genuinely listen to His children’s prayers. It reminds us we have a voice with our heavenly Father even if with no one else.
The faithful and unchanging love of God has redeemed more than one Father’s Day celebration for me, and I love that the metaphor starts with God and not the other way around.
Me too, Michele. I celebrate that our heavenly Father is in the redeeming business. And not only redemption for lost souls, but also for loss in other areas like with earthly dads or special holidays that are hard and cause us sadness or grief. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
How wonderful to know that God is a faithful and loving Father!
It really is, Bella! While we may not fully comprehend or understand all the blessings…all the benefits…all the fatherly characteristics we have in our heavenly Father, we still rest in the fact that He calls us daughter.
I am so grateful for the Father’s heart towards us. His love towards His children continually amazes me.
It is amazing, Joanne. To realize that He thinks about us…His children. But that’s not all, He has our best interest in mind and always works on our behalf to bring about our good as a loving Father.
Love this, Karen! It’s very powerful to read this list along with the scriptures that back it up. In a world where faithfulness is hard to find, it’s so amazing to be loved and cared for by God whose “faithfulness reaches the skies.” And congrats on being published on CBN!
Thank you, Gwen. God, the Father, is the one true Promise keeper who always stays true His Word and remains faithful. “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations” Deuteronomy 7:9.
I think all of your descriptions of Him, anchored in Scripture, are great and inspiring examples for us, Karen. And one that comes to my mind, though it’s reflect in how the Father cares and is close, is how He is compassionate and comforting. I often imagine climbing up into His lap for Him to enfold me in His holy embrace when I need comfort and compassion. Thanks for this inspiring post, my friend! And congrats on that amazing accomplishment! Oh, and I’ll be pinning this post for sure!
How comforting to think about climbing in our heavenly Father’s lap for an embrace like no other, Beth. And those are all part of His fatherly attributes…great compassion and loving comfort. Thank you!
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Karen, thank you so much for joining us at the #LMMLinkup! Your post was my favorite for this coming week’s linkup. I really enjoyed it. I lost my dad too in 1999. Your story resonated with me so much. Your list of 10 Reasons God is a Faithful Father blessed me as well.
Thank you, Mary. I commented on your post and link up today with my appreciation. I’m so sorry you lost your dad, too. I had a troubled childhood, but I also have a powerful God-story. When I met Christ at 16 (and my twin sister), I began praying for my dad to also believe in God and accept Christ as Lord. I prayed every day. When my faith waned, a mentor encouraged me in college to insert my dad’s name in Scripture about salvation and pray it! Then 16 years later, when I was 32, my dad became a Christ-follower. It’s a testimony to the fervant and faithful prayer James talks about, James 5:16.
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My Dad was also not a believer until he was 61. He wasn’t an atheist – he just preferred to go his own way. I’m so thankful God got old of him 7 years before he died.
This is such a wonderful picture of our heavenly Father. I need to thank Him more.