Having a loving father is a gift from the Lord and something I am very thankful for. Growing up, you may not have experienced a loving earthly father, but you have always had a loving heavenly Father. There is something special about being in God’s family. In the Lord’s family, you are accepted, highly favored, and the object of His special care and affection. There is never a time in your life when you are not on the heart of the Lord.
God Loved Adam and Eve
God loved Adam and Eve and placed them in a perfect place on earth, the Garden of Eden. Not long after God put them in the garden, they disobeyed the Lord and fell into sin. The world Adam and Eve lived in would endure death and suffering, and life would be a struggle because of their sin.
Yes, there were consequences, but the Lord would continue to love them and work to restore their broken relationship. As a loving father, the Lord would provide clothing for them. Then He sent them out of the garden to prevent them from eating from the tree of life and living forever in their sinful condition. Also, one day, the Father would send His Son Jesus into the world after thousands of years to rescue humanity from sin.
Genesis 3:20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve because she would be the mother of all who live. 21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. 22 Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. [1]
The Father’s Love and Mercy
I have always admired Rembrandt’s painting of the prodigal son’s return. Even before the son’s return, the father is watching and waiting for him to return. When the son arrives, the father hugs him and gives his disheveled son a new robe and sandals. Like the prodigal son, we have all sinned and fallen short of the Lord’s plan for our life. We have squandered life’s opportunities and pursued our plans.
But in God’s amazing grace, our heavenly Father comes to us! Ephesians 2:4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)”[2]
To hear more about a loving Father, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/beginnings-fall
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Ge 3:20–24). Tyndale House Publishers.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Eph 2:4–5). Tyndale House Publishers.