One of my old favourite songs as a young Christian, was 'Father Me' by Rick and Cathy Riso. The first verse goes like this;
O father of the fatherless,
In whom all families are blessed,
I love the way you father me,
You gave me life, forgave the past,
Now in your arms I'm safe at last,
I love the way you father me.
And the chorus;
Father me, forever you'll father me,
And in your embrace I'll be forever secure,
I love the way you father me,
I love the way you father me.
This song meant a lot to me then because I was going through a rough patch in my life and it seemed that there was no one who could help me. I had no one to look up to so I looked heavenward and I felt the Father's love. I found hope and strength in Him and I knew that with Him by my side, everything was going to be okay.
Several decades have passed since then but recently when the news was broken to me that my dad had died, this song came to mind again and constantly, since the day I lost my dad, I have found myself singing this song. The song not only reminded me of how God has been faithful in the past, it also reminds me that He is faithful still and I can depend on Him.
My dad, Nathaniel Popoola did his best to raise me and my brothers. He wasn't particularly religious while we were children but he ensured that we received instruction in the scriptures and had a strict adherence to family morning prayers.
When I became a Christian as a teenager, my dad didn't really understand my brand of Christianity and tried to curb my 'excessive' christian practice. Some decades later, he came to understand the transformation which occurred to me when He realised his need for a saviour and gave his life to Christ.
My relationship with my father was cordial although I missed out on a close relationship while I was a young man growing into adulthood. But in the last 10 years, I could see him making effort to catch up on lost ground and was very devoted to his grandchildren.
If like me, you are missing your earthly father, either because they have passed on or they might be alive but not there for you as a father should, take courage, God is always there even when your father is not. In fact, God has a soft spot for the fatherless.
How do I know this? The clue is in the following scriptures,
"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. ( Psalm 68:5)
"But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless." (Psalm 10:14)
I will surely miss my dad and I know that there will be times when I would wish he were there for me to talk to and seek his advice but I am consoled and encouraged that I have the Father of the fatherless always with me, guiding me and giving me all the grace I need to move on.
Steve Popoola is the editor of Biblepraise Newsletter and the founder of the Biblepraise Fellowship Online at http://www.biblepraise.org. He lives in Kent, United Kingdom, where he works as an IT Professional. He currently serves as a Worship Leader as well as Home Group Leader in his local church and on occasion, speaks at invited events. He is the founder of the BiblepraiseFellowship Online Ministry and Moderator/Editor of the Biblepraise Newsletter. He can be reached through His email address, steve@biblepraise.org
