Friday 19 March 2010

Forgetting your Father

Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you. – Deuteronomy 32v18

I have already been ‘outed’ in the fact that I like to watch Judge Judy. The episodes we get are at least a couple of years old, but Judge Judy is timeless so it doesn’t really matter J.

Realising that this is only Judge Judy I am still saddened when I see parents and children in lawsuits. Even sadder is the fact that these things really do happen. Parents and their children do fall out and relationships are shattered.

I think of how said this is. I know that there are cases where families are sadly broken from day one and that is terrible tragic. I am thinking today though of those families that went through really good years when the children were young. I think of birthday parties and Christmases and graduations and weddings and the birth of grandchildren and all those marvellous things. I think of family outings and picnics and trips to the zoo and wonderful photographs and fantastic memories. I think of the bonds between parents and children and how precious they are.

Then I think of myself as a dad. Most of our kids are grown and though I often differ with my adult children I am blessed to have good relationships with them all. I cannot imagine the hurt that would come if my children would forget me in any regard. Even at the most difficult times we stay in touch and work through our differences.

But what if we didn’t? What if they broke off contact completely? What if they ‘forgot’ all about me and the years we have had and the fathering? Even though my fathering has been flawed and I have blown it over and over I would still be devastated.

But here have Israel. After all He has done in provided for Hid children and meeting their needs they have forgotten Him. They have all of this despite that fact that their Father is perfect and has never made a mistake.

Terrible of Israel, right? Of course! But how about us? We have seen an aspect of God that they did not. We have seen out heavenly Father in the light of the precious gift of His Son. And yet we still can forget our Father and leave Him out of our daily lives.

How sad that we would heavenly forget our heavenly Father and remember all the rubbish of the world around us.

Remember Him today.

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