Hearts of Fathers Turn Back to Their Children
The father’s relationship with his children is an important relationship because it represents God’s relationship as Father of mankind. The enemy attacks the office of father and their relationship with their children. This is so that those who never had a relationship with their father or had a poor one would grow up not knowing the true love of a father or to despise him. Thereby, God’s role as a loving Father would be marred by the enemy and society.
Many children have a yearning to be in a good relationship and to know their fathers, it is an innate desire given by God that byknowing their father and through that relationship they will come to know God as their heavenly Father. The office of father represents the relationship that God has with those who are born into the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Fathers are given the responsibility to bring up their children, to instruct, train and discipline tenderly with lovingkindness. Mothers are partners to help bring up their children in the instruction of the Lord. Both parents share the responsibility and liability for training their children in the ways of God. Not many women are named in the Bible but when it gave thegenecology of the kings and their origin, it would tell who theirfathers and mothers were and then would outline if they did evil or right in the eyes of the Lord.
2 Kings 23: 31-32 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. NKJ
We live in a fallen society and have an adversary that has come to attack and destroy the image of fathers and God’s love and purpose in the eyes of humanity. We see this attack on families for many generations where the fathers are separated from their homes and families. It is a deliberate strategy of the enemy to leave families without the covering and protection of the father that will leave their children desolate without hope, without instruction or training as to who they are and their created purpose.
Colossian 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Ephesian 6:4 and you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Some fathers have become so self-centered and self-consumed,forsaking their children and families for their own personal gain and desires. Historically, fatherless children were viewed by society as inferior with dubious origin because they were considered children who lack training, instruction and self-discipline that the fathers would give their children. Thereby,causing the child hurt, resentment and hatred toward the officeof father, one that should represent love, provision and protection. Through Christ God has sent the Holy Spirit that He may teach and train us in the ways of our Heavenly Father so that we may be adopted into the family of God.
Hebrews 12: 7-9 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?
The family unit is what God created and wanted to use to restore the earth with His glory and to replenish the earth with His image. God did not leave us without hope and though somemay not have had a loving father in their life or a cruel and offensive one, our hope is in Christ whom God has sent. The Holy Spirit can turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and also, restore the love of children to their fathers that they may know God the Father and become part of His loving family. Only God’s love and mercy through the power of the Holy Spirit can give us grace to forgive the wrongs and hurts we have experienced in this fallen world.
Malachi 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
This life is filled with challenges, difficulties and pain but God did not leave us comfortless, we have been given the Holy Spirit to comfort us and guide us through all things. We all willsuffer in this world because it is sin infested but through faith in Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit we can go through these challenges with hope. That is the difference between those who live without Christ, they become consumed with their own troubles and become disheartened with hate and resentment and without hope.
1 John 2:26-29 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
In Christ we have a hope not only for this life but for the next life to be eternally with God our loving Father. We are of one family, children of God and need not fear or be ashamed of our beliefs and hope in Christ.
Acts 17:28 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Integrity- People of God 