Word Wednesday:Fathers Protect

Psalm 18:30 As for God, His way is blameless;The word of the LORD is tried;He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Matthew 6:9 " Pray, then, in this way:'Our Father who is in heaven,Hallowed be Your name.

I am not blameless. I mess up, foul up and hose up many things in my life both the trivial and the weighty.  However, I as a father, take that responsibility very seriously and  give thanks to my Father in Heaven for providing the perfect example to follow.  My God, who is forever faithful and blameless, is our protector and our refuge from all trouble and we should strive to be the same here on Earth.

The Stapleton guys were out and about in the yard one day last summer with the boys playing carefree in the front while I piddled around with our pathetic garden in the side yard.  I could hear them playing joyfully when all of a sudden I hear a scream, and looking up I see Weston running towards me like an Olympic sprinter on steroids.  Just as he got within arms reach I saw our neighbors Boxer Bulldog come trotting with his tongue hanging out without a care in the world into our yard.  The dog was and is harmless, but to my son there was a perceived threat to his well being and he ran to the person that he knew would do everything under Heaven and Earth to protect him.  We all as fathers are God's representatives in the home and as such we must protect every member of our family.

• We must calm our children's fears. ( The monster in the closet is not really there )
• Protect, as much as we can, both our wives and children from the harshness of life. ( This is neither sexist nor keeping our wives in the dark, since they are often smarter and stronger than us anyway )
• Shield them from the evil of the world. ( What have you let in your house gentleman? They will be inundated with worldly influences from without so shouldn't it be at a minimum in the home? )
• Protect from false doctrine. ( It is our responsibility to train them and not Uncle Sam's )

God is our refuge that we can run to when life is overwhelming and the enemy roars about seeking to devour.  As Weston ran to me so should we also run to our Father in Heaven and come boldly before throne of Grace to obtain mercy and help in time of need.

Father, I thank you for being my Protector and my Refuge from both the known and the unknown.  Thank you for allowing me to be a father to the children you have blessed me with.  I pray that you would give me strength, discernment, and grace to be the head of my family and to lead them to you.  Help me today to be the father you would have me to be. Amen