Caely Judy is passionate about teaching the next generation about Christ. With a degree in psychology and a minor in art, she has worked with children for several years. She is an artist who uses her work to spread joy and hope.
Throughout the summer, there are many holidays that we celebrate – one of them being Father’s Day. Whenever this time comes around, I begin to feel the weight of this holiday for many of those around me. Maybe you’ve lost your father, or never had a healthy relationship with him. This can make it difficult to understand the role of our heavenly Father.
Personally, I have been blessed to have a father that has strived to represent God’s love. He is patient and kind, and has been a guiding point to show me how much more our heavenly Father protects and cares for us.
In Deuteronomy, Moses is reminding the Israelites that they did not always obey the commands of the Lord, even after He had proven His character time and time again. Deuteronomy 1:29-31 says, “Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
The Israelites did not truly understand how much the Lord was guiding them. Even after delivering them out of Egypt, they did not fully grasp how God was planning their steps.
My father has always been there for his children, physically, emotionally, and to guide us spiritually. I can remember him taking us out for boat rides as children. While getting onto the boat from the pier, I began to look down at the large gap in between. I had a life jacket, my father was holding both of my hands, and yet I still questioned the ability to safely get on. After I paused, he looked at me and said “I would never let you fall.” Because I knew my father, I trusted that he would take care of me. If we study the character of God, we know that he will never leave us or forsake us, as Moses tells Joshua later on in chapter 31.
Deuteronomy 1:32-33 goes on to say, “In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.”
God provided everything they needed and still they doubted His goodness. We, as humans, struggle to understand what we cannot see. We do not have the all-knowing power that God possesses. This is where our faith comes into practice. As Christians, we have to call on God to help strengthen our faith. This can be a continual process of letting go of the control we believe we have and trusting that no matter the struggles we face, God is a good father who desires to protect His children.