Today’s guest blogger is Wendy Lanier.
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. (Psalm 28:7)
Daddies are protective. Well—real daddies are. Baby daddies don’t count, because anybody can make a baby. It takes a real man to be a father.
Real fathers guard their children and serve as their protectors as long as they have breath. No matter how old I get (already past the half-century mark), and no matter how old he gets, my dad will always look out for me.
He’ll fuss over whether there is washer fluid in my car, whether my tires are properly inflated, and if my favorite ice cream is in the house when I come to visit. He’ll shoot snakes for me and babysit my dog if I ask him. He’d defend me from a grizzly bear if the need arose. I have never doubted his love for me.
My husband takes the same attitude toward our own daughters. And that’s as it should be. Because that’s what dads do.
But even if your earthly father falls short of that mark, you can be sure your Heavenly Father never will. He guards you (Psalm 97:10) and helps you (Psalm 28:7). He is your protector (2 Thessalonians 3:3), and a mighty warrior who loves you, delights in you, and rejoices over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17).
Good or bad, earthly dads are subject to faults. Not one of them is perfect. And, unfortunately, lots of people have earthly fathers that are just outright horrible. But no matter who you are or where you live or what your station in life—the Heavenly Father will always be the perfect dad to you if you’ll let Him.
Like the gentleman He is, He will never force you to spend time with Him or demand your attention. He will simply be there. And when you make the effort to know Him, when you seek Him, you’ll find that He is the answer to every need you have.
As great as my dad is, he can’t do that for me. As much as he may want to, my dad can’t heal me or bind up my broken heart or give me eternal life. That’s something only my Heavenly Father can do. And He can do that for you, too.
Wendy Hinote Lanier is a former elementary teacher who writes and speaks for children and adults on a variety of topics. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Speech Language Pathology and an M. Ed. in Elementary Education. She is the author of more than a dozen books for children and young people as well as articles and devotions for children and adults in various publications.
