Everlasting Father

“Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”

Often I hear the words my earthly father informs my concept of my heavenly Father. To some degree that is true for me. However, instinctively my soul knows that something is amuck with that picture.

Sadly stories of abusive fathers or absentee fathers abound. Thankfully there are also stories of good fathers. But no earthly father truly and completely reflects our heavenly Father—our everlasting Father. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, Romans 3:23.

To know my real Father, my everlasting Father I must go the source—the Bible and allow that to introduce me and inform my soul. And that is overwhelming! The character of God—my everlasting Father far exceeds my comprehension.

God is omniscient—He knows. God knows the aspects of His character, His everlasting Fatherhood that I most need to experience. He doesn’t dump the truck. Two qualities of my everlasting Father are very special to me—they speak to my particular needs.

My everlasting Father knows my love language, love manifesting purpose. His love for me is filled with purpose. Growing up many times my purposes were thwarted. Those purposes were what communicated significance to me. Thinking backwards, when I didn’t experience significance because my purposes were thwarted, I didn’t feel loved—YUCK! Knowing this about me (after all He created me), throughout the years, my everlasting Father has communicated His purpose for me in the same sentence He declares His love for me. I hear that kind of love.

My first memory of Him speaking love with purpose to me is with the words of Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you …”; a few years later my everlasting Father whispered these words to me from Ephesians 2:10, “… created in Christ Jesus for good works…” More recently Ephesians 1:5 has encouraged me, “In love, He predestined us for adoption …according to the purpose of His will.” I know there will be more reminders, I tend to forget.

Another quality of my everlasting Father that I need to experience is His shepherding. A good shepherd anticipates the needs of His sheep and prepares them—even before they realize their needs. I appreciate this quality. It gives perspective when everything around me hurts. My everlasting Father has often done this for me through the words of the great hymn writers. He brings a hymn to mind in a certain situation. Sometimes I don’t even remember all the words but when I open my hymnal something like scales fall from my heart and I realize I have experienced my everlasting Father anticipating my needs.

“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”

Psalm 103:13,14