15 June, 2022 16:05

FATHER’S DAY

This Sunday is designated as Father’s Day. Granted it is not some great spiritual feast day ordained by God and thundered forth from Mt Sinai. I refer to these days as the ‘Hallmark Feasts’. While they were no doubt originally established with good intentions, I can’t help think they have morphed into more of a money-making business.

Laying all that aside, I was just thinking about some of my Charismatic Messianic friends who like to refer to God as G_D, as though this was a way of giving Him the utmost honor and reverence.

In delving into this custom, I discovered that many well-meaning Jews, as a sign of reverence, respect, and protection, believed God’s name was so sacred and holy that it should never be uttered. This custom comes from the passage in Deuteronomy 12:3-4 regarding the destruction of heathen altars. The passage reads, “and you shall cut down the engraved images of their gods, and you shall obliterate their name from that place.” According to one commentator, Rashi, he believed that as Jews they should not erase or destroy God’s name and avoid even writing it. The thought being, that if God’s name was never fully written, then it could never be erased, effaced, or destroyed.

This custom of writing G_D has gained widespread popularity in recent years. I cannot help but think that this belief has led to the very opposite of its intended purpose. Instead of GOD being honored as GOD, He has been dishonored by having His name reduced to a mere acronym. Imagine if I were to line up my three daughters and eight grandchildren and inform them, that from now on, they should refer to me only as G-D instead of GrandDad. Away with such foolishness!

One of the great truths that Jesus came to reveal was that we could call God our FATHER or Papa. Nothing speaks of friendship, intimacy, relationship, or sonship more than the term FATHER. Thank God we don’t have to approach Him as Esther did when approaching King Ahasuerus. She was so terrified of the King that she assumed she would perish when entering his presence. Thank God we have a King who invites us to enter His throne room with boldness and confidence while crying Abba, Father! (Having said that, neither do we approach God in some untoward way by referring to God as ‘the man upstairs,’ or some similar disrespectful term.)

Returning to Father’s Day. How amazing that we can call the One who created the heavens and earth (the One who is the Eternal, Omnipotent, Lord & Master of all, the great God Almighty, the Desire of all nations, the King of all kings) our FATHER!

Why not let Him know this Father’s Day how much you love HIM.

PS My sources tell me He doesn’t like being called G_

Father, I adore You
Lay my life before You
How I love You

Jesus, I adore You
Lay my life before You
How I love You

Spirit, I adore You
Lay my life before You
How I love You