Day 161: Psalms 25, 26, 27 and 28

Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. (Psalm 27:10)

My father committed his life to Christ when I was three weeks old. That day marked the end of being controlled by addictions to alcohol, tobacco and gambling. He never touched any of them again – he was miraculously changed… literally. My brother and sister, who are 10 and 12 years older than me, grew up with the old Dad; I grew up with the new one. The new Dad was a different person, and a different parent.

Not everyone has the benefit of being raised by loving parents. The Bible’s emphasis on God as father is lost on them, because they haven’t experienced what a father is supposed to be. Many adult children have stood next to open graves conflicted about how to mourn the loss of a parent who never acted like a parent. They are often counseled to mourn the relationship they should have had, but was for them denied.

While we may not have had Fred MacMurray (My Three Sons – ABC/CBS 1960-1972) for a dad, hopefully we have enough exposure to healthy family relationships to understand the concept of parental love. The psalmist is saying that as unlikely as it may be, even if the people who love him most were to turn their backs on him, he knows God will always be there with open arms.

Did your parents model God’s love to you? Do you model it for your children?