The Importance of a Godly Relationship Existing between Fathers and Children!

21 Jun 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Scrip-Bit   21 June 2026   Ephesians 6:4.

Ephesians 6:4.        And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

It’s another Sunday friends, a mostly sunny one. And yes, Sundays show up like clockwork, right on time, to remind us that we need to make our way to the Lord’s sanctuary for praise and thanksgiving. And this Sunday is a special one in the lives of fathers because we celebrate them today; show them the many ways we cherish, appreciate and admire them.  But before we get into talking about our earthly fathers, let’s remember the best father there is, our heavenly Father.

And today’s song of worship is especially in His honour. It’s appropriately titled, ‘This is my Father’s World.’ It’s a popular Christian hymn penned by Maltbie Davenport Babcock, (1858-1901) a Presbyterian minister from New York. When Babcock resided in Lockport, it’s claimed that he would take strolls along the Niagara Escarpment to savor the overlook’s scenic view of upstate New York surroundings and Lake Ontario, telling his wife he was “going out to see the Father’s world”.  Unfortunately, the poem wasn’t published until after his death in 1901, when his wife released a collection of his poems that contained it. And it wasn’t until 1915 that it appeared in the current hymn form.

So, on this special day for fathers, let’s offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a soulful, scintillating, mid-tempo version of the song. 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:’

And so it is my people! As Bruh David so rightfully says 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 having noted that the world and all therein belongs to our heavenly Father, let’s take a quick look at the relationship between Him and His Son Jesus. That’s the best father – son relationship there’s ever been, and will ever be.

And though the Father sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay our sin debt, Jesus never held it against Him, but continued LOVING Him because He knew the great thing the Father was trying to do, and that He was the only person capable of doing it. Instead, Jesus praised the Father and the close relationship they enjoyed. As He said: ‘I and my Father are one.’ (John 10:30) And later on, when praying for believers, He again declares: ‘That they may all be one; as thou Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.’  (John 17:21-22)

Yes friends, though that’s a tough relationship to cultivate between earthly fathers and children, that’s the type of relationship we ought to seek.  And the Lord warned us of the importance of honouring our parents from way back in the Ten Commandments, with the only commandment of promise, when He declared: ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ (Ex. 20:12) So, although our relationship with our fathers might not be of the strongest kind, it’s still our duty to respect and honour them.

And there are many good, bad and indifferent fathers in these crucial times. Fathers are supposed to be the head of the household; to take the lead in godly behaviour, to lead the children by their own example. But the fact that there are so many absentee fathers from today’s homes, so many single parent families, that it takes a toll on all relationships. Ofttimes the one parent is out working to make ends meet while the children are left on their own, and with no proper parental guidance get into all kinds of trouble. Lack of proper parental guidance is certainly one of the causes for so much current youth violence and crime.

It’s true that Cousin Sol theorized: ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and (even) when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ (Prov. 22:6) And that holds true to a certain extent, but as the old people would say, you make the child but not their minds. So regardless of what you teach them in their youth, circumstances, friends, whatever, can always cause them to go astray. But still, we need more fathers in the homes, and fathers that care and are willing to do their God appointed job and guide their children in a God-like manner.

And it’s why Bruh Paul warned in the letter to the Ephesians. ‘And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’ (Eph. 6:4) And as the scholars point out, there are several ways in which fathers can provoke their children to wrath; ‘by injustice, loss of temper, undue severity, cruelty, favouritism, suppression, sarcasm, ridicule, and misuse or abuse of authority. Meanwhile, nurture here means spiritual education. Admonition is instruction that points out one’s responsibilities and duties. Of the Lord, indicates that behind the parents’ rearing and instruction of their children stands the Lord as the chief teacher in child education. Parents do not rear children alone.’

The long and short of the story friends is that the family as the basic foundation of our society is falling apart, as marriage and childbearing fall by the wayside, and the number of godly men who are willing to participate in rearing godly children also dwindle. But fathers, this is a wakeup call for us all to do better. Just look at how our children are running around aimlessly and irresponsibly, getting into oodles of trouble. That is not a good sign for the generation to come, so let’s rise up and do something about it nuh, for it’s our bounden duty. Much LOVE!

…if we don’t turn things around now…the next generation will be a total disaster…

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 16 June 2019 Exodus 20:12.

16 Jun 2019 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Exodus 20:12.   Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

​HAPPY  FATHER’S  DAY!

Well a Happy Father’s Day to all you fathers out there, be you good, bad or indifferent! (smile) Yes, today is the day we spend celebrating that wonderful and godly gift called Fatherhood. And no, it’s not as big as the day we spend celebrating Motherhood, because the world tends to see Motherhood in a somewhat better light than Fatherhood. Therefore Mother’s Day seems to have a bigger impact on both our psyche and our active involvement than Father’s Day. 

And though fathers’ traditional role of bread-winner and ruler of the roost might have changed some, with more working mothers and more irresponsible and absentee fathers than ever before, they are still an important part of our society. (smile) But more on all of that later, because it’s Sunday and we’re going to the sanctuary to participate in faithful and exultant worship to the GREATEST FATHER there is…our heavenly Father! 

And that’s why our song of praise today is the popular Christian hymn ‘This is My Father’s World,’ written by Maltbie Davenport Babcock around the end of the 19th century. According to the website ‘God Tube’ when Babcock lived in upstate New York, in Lockport, ‘he would take strolls along the Niagara Escarpment to savour the overlook’s scenic view of upstate New York surroundings and Lake Ontario, telling his wife he was “going out to see the Father’s world.” 

The central theme of the hymn is joy and appreciation for the beauty of our natural world.’ So let’s sing it like we really mean it nuh, like we really enjoy the beauty of nature that our heavenly Father has created for our enjoyment and pleasure! Let the enthusiasm, sweet harmony and true exaltation just gush out of us on this Father’s Day. 

Altogether now: ‘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!’ 

It certainly is my fellow saints in Christ! He made it, and He looks after it! Why do you think that the birds sing their songs of praise, and the morning light and lily white declare His praise eh? And so should we humans, His most wonderful creation! Just listen to these touching words nuh: ‘In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere!’ That’s the gospel truth friends! In every aspect of nature we can view our great heavenly Father…if we would just slow down and take the time to smell the roses! 

And even more important are these immortal words: ‘O let me ne’er forget That though wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet!’ That’s for certain sure my people! Therefore why should our hearts be sad eh? ‘The Lord is king. So let the heavens ring! God reigns!’ That’s something we oftimes forget; ‘So let the earth be glad, because we have a Father, a glorious Father who reigns in power and in LOVE!’ Truer words were never spoken friends! 

But what we also have to take into account my brethren is that the Lord delegated a lot of His power here on earth to the earthly Fathers, and consequently they are required to lead us in His sovereign will, and we are also required to show them the respect demanded of that high and godly office. Parents are His earthly representatives. 

And the Lord taught it so important that He made it a part of His rules for godly living; the Ten Commandments: ‘Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.’ As always, our God says it simply and straightforward. Our fathers and mothers are the two most important people in our lives, after Him, of course. And regardless of if they are bad, good, or indifferent, it is our job to honour and revere them. 

And as Bruh Paul says later on to the Ephesians: ‘it is the first commandment with promise.’ (Eph.6:2b). That means it’s the first injunction given that has a promise attached to it; honouring and obeying parents ensures a long and prosperous life. Now, unfortunately, as our society gets less and less godly, the honouring and obeying of parents is also becoming less practiced, and a lot of us are even cursing and smiting them too. 

And the dishonouring and disobeying is especially true of fathers, many of whom, for whatever reason, are never around or don’t take any active part in their children’s lives. Remember friends, parents, especially fathers are supposed to bring up children with the word of God richly ingrained in them, starting from very young. 

So if many fathers aren’t around, or are around and don’t do it, then this exacting and rather important job is either going to fall by the wayside, or the poor mother will be forced to take it on, in addition to her many other rearing duties. That’s a lot for any parent to handle, hence the waywardness and ungodliness of so many of today’s youth. 

Ah friends, as the most important part of our society, the family crumbles, the godly commands also fall by the wayside. But we won’t give up, because that’s not in the Christian vocabulary. Instead, we’ll keep trying to push parents and children to be better, beginning with these warnings from the Lord a long, long time ago, re, honouring parents. He that smites or curses his father or mother shall surely be put to death. (Ex.21:15,17) That just goes to show how important God thought parents were. 

And a couple more admonishments from Bruh Paul: ‘Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right….And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (training) and admonition of the Lord.’ (Eph.6:1,4) Yes friends, children ought to obey their parents when instructed to do anything that’s in God’s will, and fathers need to use their authority wisely, giving them proper spiritual training, as well as teaching them their responsibilities and duties. 

Let’s hope and pray that this Father’s Day will bring some recalcitrant fathers and children to the place where they see and acknowledge God’s Word and His awesome desire for their lives. Have a blessed and happy Father’s Day! Much LOVE!

…fear (revere) every man…his mother…and his father…and keep my Sabbaths…I am the Lord your God… (Lev.19:3)