Psalm 27:10. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (take care of me).
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Well, a Happy Father’s Day to all you Fathers out there, be you good, bad or indifferent! I certainly hope that I am numbered amongst the good ones, but who knows, everyone has their own opinions however, the only one that really counts is the Lord’s. (smile) And what is Father’s Day supposed to mean? This commentary explains: ‘It’s a heartfelt occasion to honour the strength, LOVE, and guidance of fathers and father figures. Whether it is through a thoughtful message, a warm wish, or an inspiring quote, this day is perfect for showing appreciation and gratitude to the men who raised us.’
And so it ought to be, for remember what God said in the Ten Commandments: ‘Honour thy father and mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex. 20:12) Yes friends, it is the only commandment with a promise: honour your mother and father and you’ll live long. However, as it is with mothers, our fathers might be no good or not around, but it’s still our children’s duty to honour them in the Lord’s name.
And on this memorable Father’s Day of 2025, we’ll sing a most appropriate and popular Christian hymn penned by an American Presbyterian minister from New York, Maltbie Davenport Babcock, (b. Syracuse, NY, 1858; d. Naples, Italy, 1901), which reminds us of our most important Father, our heavenly Father. The song is aptly titled “This is My Father’s World”, but was apparently born as a poem from a time when Babcock resided in Lockport, and would take strolls along the Niagara Escarpment to savour the scenic view of upstate New York and Lake Ontario, telling his wife he was “going out to see the Father’s world”.
And it seems that soon after Babcock’s death in 1901, his wife released a collection of his poems entitled Thoughts for Every-Day Living that contained the poem “My Father’s World.” The original poem was composed in 16 four-line stanzas, each beginning with “This is my Father’s world.” One of Babcock’s friends, Franklin Shepherd (1852-1930) adapted an English folk song inserting portions of Babcock’s text into three, eight-line stanzas. The hymn in this form first appeared in the composer’s hymnal Alleluia, a Presbyterian Sunday school book published in 1915. The central theme of the song is joy and appreciation for the beauty of our natural world.
And now that we know the story behind the song, let’s offer up our sacrifices of praise in a sweet, soulful, scintillating mid-tempo version, letting the LOVE for our Father and the beauty of His awesome creation, Mother Nature, to pour out in all sincerity from our hearts. Singing: ‘This is my Father’s world, And to my listening ears All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas– His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world: The birds their carols raise, The morning light, the lily white, Declare their Maker’s praise. This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair; In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere. This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad! I have a Father, a glorious father, He reigns in power and in LOVE, We have a Father, our glorious Father, creator, King and God. This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet. This is my Father’s world: Yes…This is my Father’s world…’
And is that ever so true my people! This is indeed God’s world as Bruh David so rightly and wisely declares in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:1-2) And the Lord is not only the Creator of the universe, but as the song says ‘O let me ne’er forget That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.’
That’s for sure! And although it may seem that Satan and his evil cronies are in control right now, that’s only a figment of the imagination, for when the Lord is ready, He will bring everyone to the judgement seat and the evildoers will perish, while the righteous will have eternal life. So don’t go believing the lies and deceptions that the evildoers are spreading. Christians might not be doing their best to spread the gospel, but God is certainly in control of the universe He created, and if you look around, you will see many signs and wonders of His hands still being on the wheel.
We see God in all of His wonderful creations, like a beautiful sunrise or sunset, in the birds and the bees, the lilies of the field, the rustling grass, a newborn baby, the stillness of the night, even in the stormy seas and mighty winds, we see our God! And to top it all, He speaks to us everywhere! There’s no one place we must go to hear His still, quiet voice, that’s because He dwells within us in the form of His Holy Spirit, our Guide, Helper and Comforter.
That’s why Psalm 148 could boldly and confidently proclaim: ‘Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah). Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise ye him, all ye stars of light. Praise ye him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished (established) them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
Praise ye the Lord from the earth, ye dragons (sea creatures), and all deeps: Fire, and hail; snow and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent (exalted); his glory is above the earth and heaven. He also exalteth the horn (strength, dominion) of his people, the praise of all his saints; even the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord (sing Hallelujah).’ (Ps. 148: 1-14)
And I like how the scholars categorize this psalm. ‘Since nothing in heaven above or on earth below is left out in this praise psalm, it may be appropriately designated as the psalm of universal praise.’ So, on this day of celebrating fathers, let’s not forget the One in heaven who created us, and still looks after us, for He’s promised to never leave nor forsake us. (Heb. 13:5) And as Bruh David so rightly puts it in Psalm 27: ‘When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up (take care of me). (Ps. 27:10)
Let’s never forget that my fellow believers! Our heavenly Father is the greatest Father ever! Much LOVE!
…our earthly fathers may reject us…but our heavenly Father will NEVER do so…
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