Relationships between fathers with their children are important for God. Even between children and their fathers. (Also referred to fathers and sons in the Bible)
The last verse of the old testament states that God will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to the fathers. God warns if the relationship does not improve, a punishment of utter destruction would follow.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. ( Malachi 4: 5-6 NKJV)
The great and dreadful day of the Lord is the day of judgement.
The day of judgement is the last day.
The last days can be different for individuals, cities, nations, and humanity. No one knows when it can come for anyone.
So it’s better to live life with an awareness that the window of time (window of opportunity) available for each one of us is brief. Thus today is the day, now the time available for each one of us to live a life pleasing to God is limited. If we live life with that perspective in mind, you just don’t have to be bothered about the last days. You are always prepared.
So do not postpone the changes in your life so that you please Lord Jesus with your words and your thoughts.
Do we know our hearts?
The prophet Jeremiah says that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. He adds that no one is able to know it. Since the Spirit of God speaks through him, it’s true but it is very embarrassing to know that the heart is deceitful above all things in comparison. This certainly includes our heart – mine certainly and probably yours as well – as the most deceitful thing.
“The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV)
What do we do? We certainly have a way of handling this. Because condemnation is not from God.
The words a person speaks do not convey the condition of his/her heart. Even when a person worships, people sing words that mean they are drawing near to God, but in reality their heart is far away from God.
These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.(Matthew 15:8-9 NKJV)
What does Jesus say about fathers and children?
Jesus mentions two specific instances regarding the relationship between fathers and children. Here in this case, it’s specifically about the relationship between fathers and sons. These illustrate the dimensions of this rich relationship.
The parable of the prodigal son. Jesus speaks about a certain man who had two sons. The younger one asks for his inheritance, he then leaves for a far away country. He squandered his inheritance on a wasteful lifestyle. When his money got over and the economy of the country was in bad state due to famine, the only way he could survive was by working for a man in a pigsty. After a few days in the pig sty, the Holy Spirit of the Lord reminded this younger son of the far superior condition of servants in his fathers house. So he considered travelling back to his father’s country.
He knew he had squandered all the inheritance which his father had given him. So he knew for certain that he did not deserve being accepted back as a son. He knew he did not have any …. as a son. Rather he fully knew he only deserved perhaps to be considered as a potential servant. The son approached the father and confessed his wrong doing.
This returning of the son to the father is the turning of the heart of the son to the father. This could have been a rebellious daughter who turned her heart to the father and got back by coming back to the fathers home. Thus clearly explaining turning the heart of children to the father.
Now we will look into turning the heart of a father to his children. Coming back to the story of the prodigal son,
The father’s response to his son, helps us understand the turning of the heart of fathers to the children. The father, when he saw his son far away, did not have a moment of anger and condemnation towards his son. Rather the portion in Luke 15:11-32 clearly speaks about compassion. The father ran and fell on his son’s neck and kissed him. The joy, love and affection towards his son were the only expressions of the father.
There was no examination of what happened to the inheritance he had given him. No asking for an explanation where he was all these days. No asking of how much money was remaining.
Most often as a son and as father I find myself far from turning my heart towards my son, towards my father. Only during moments do I find that I visit the place of turning my heart towards my father or my children. Writing this revealed to me my judgemental nature, my questioning and wanting an explanation for every situation. A stubbornness in the state of my heart towards my child as well.
Another instance of a father and a child is described by Jesus. Here the child asks for bread.
If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:11-13 NKJV)
Here we read that even if the earthly father, although being evil, knew how to give good gifts to children. We read that how much more would the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to every one that asks him.
Here we see that as fathers our role model is the heavenly father, who does not wait to assess us or evaluate us before giving us the supreme gift of the Holy Spirit.
We see a dimension of the child’s attitude in asking whatever the child needs without any self condemnation.
Father Abraham, as a child of Father God was fully obedient to his heavenly father, being prepared to sacrifice even what was most precious to him – his son. A relationship of totally trusting in the Heavenly father.
In Isaac we see that although he was a young man in his 30’s he considered to fully surrender and become the sacrificial lamb for the sacrifice his father was prepared to offer.
Jesus surrendered to His fathers will as he offered his life as a willing sacrifice.
These are extremely high degrees of turning the heart towards fathers and children.
Can we not improve much from where we are already stuck for many years and decades.
Who knows our heart? Can anyone turn it?
We know that there is nothing that is hidden from God. This certainly includes our heart. Isn’t that a great relief? So if we ask Him who knows us, He will show us the state of our heart!
And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13 NKJV)
We know that the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. The Proverbs verse 20:27 says:
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. Proverbs 20:27 KJV. Thus this verse clearly shows that the Spirit of man, empowered/directed by God’s Spirit shows us all things that’s hidden deep inside including the innermost secrets. Only thing – the spirit of man needs to be illuminated by the Holy Spirit – so that we get to know the hidden and the secret intent of our heart.
We thus require the Holy Spirit’s help and guidance, thus we require God’s spirit to reign in our spirit. Rather we need God’s spirit to reign in our spirit. This only happens only when we have a life of surrender to the Holy Spirit.
Then, we will know the thoughts and intentions of our heart. This is how the state of our heart gets revealed to us, in a light of God’s spirit – the Holy Spirit.
…….Be still…. Consider meditating on the key aspects of what you read. You want to be good ground that yields. That takes time. So review, write, take action on what you would change. Seek the help from the Comforter, Counsellor, also known as the Helper. Only He can lead you in the paths. Jesus told
In John chapter 14, Jesus promises a helper to dwell within you and me. The precondition for receiving this Helper is to Love Jesus and Keep the commandments of Jesus.
And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, … He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit will reveal to you the state of your heart.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.(John 14:26 NKJV)
It’s no longer a mystery. The Holy Spirit will let you know the state of your heart. You can then make a choice, you can then make a decision if you want to change your heart. If you want to make your heart tender. If you want to turn your heart towards your fathers and your children.
May the Holy Spirit work on you. Remind you. So that on the day of judgement, you are found acceptable. Turn your heart towards your fathers and children before it’s too late.
