God's Father Heart Towards Me

Scripture: As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:13 ESV)

Observation: God is a father who shows compassion to his children (His children being those who fear him).

Application: I am wrestling some with my own concept of God the Father. I am realizing that I tend to think of God more as a Captain or CEO, who meets with me to give me marching orders and responsibilities to carry out, rather than a father who delights to show compassion to his children. As I think about this, I think about my own fathering of my kids. Am I a father who shows compassion to his children? I think I am often a little hard on my kids—expecting them to carry out responsibility just like I feel God does to me. But if God’s father heart towards me is compassion, then how can I have that heart to my kids?

This upcoming week will test me in that I will be spending a lot more time with my kids. I want to show them the compassion of a father and simply delight in them.

Prayer: God, I know that this sort of compassion comes only from you. Help me readjust my concept of you to truly see your compassion towards me. And then help me this next week to pass that same compassion on to my kids. Help my kids to see the compassion of their heavenly father through the love of their earthly father.