While most of my family love to fish and be on the boat, my oldest son follows most closely in my husband’s footsteps – give them a fishing pole and a day on the water, and they are happy!  Much of my son’s ability has come from the years spent watching my husband and imitating him, resulting in a young man who is capable, knowledgable, and able to explain and teach the rest of us not-so-savvy fishermen.   

On this Father’s Day, as we celebrate the dads in our lives, I can’t help but be immensely grateful for all of the fathers whose daily lives are a living, breathing sermon: one that teaches hard work, faithfulness, commitment, and above all, love of God; those we are able to watch and through imitation, gain capability and knowledge, especially in how to live a life pleasing to the Lord.

I am especially grateful for our Heavenly Father, who is a father to the fatherless and defender of widows, who sets the lonely in families and leads out the prisoners with singing (see Psalm 68:5-6).  This Father of ours knows us so intimately that He knows what we need before we even ask it (see Matthew 6:8) and is able to meet our every need.  He fills us with good things and satisfies all of our desires (in Him!) (see Psalm 103:5).  We could go on and on about our Heavenly Father – there is no one like Him, who knows us so completely yet loves us so perfectly.

In light of His perfect love, I am also reminded on this Father’s Day how I long for all to know this Father of ours, don’t you?

Just as in my son’s imitation of his father, causing us to “see” my husband in him, that is how I long to be with my Heavenly Father: to imitate Him so well, that I remind others of Him.  I desire to not only be knowledgable of Him but truly know Him, and thus be able to share Him and His love with others.  I am reminded of Paul’s words found in Ephesians 5:1-2 and am all the more longing for others to know the Father through me, through us, by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, enabling us to truly be imitators of God:

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.  And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

May we consider today how we can follow more closely in His footsteps and imitate Him, all while thanking Him and being in awe of the fact that we have been called His children (see John 1:12)!

Click here for a brief study on knowing the father-heart of God towards us, His children.