Father, Why Have You Forsaken Me? It is noteworthy to find out that a large number of juvenile prisoners or even men in prisons scattered all over the world either had absentee fathers or had no fathers at all.
We often underestimate the power of a father’s presence in the home! It’s powerful. Growing up without the benefit of a man in the house can be emotionally defective for the child.
Fathers are needed.
When Jesus was on the cross, God looked away from Him at the moment he was carrying the sin of humanity because God wouldn’t behold sin. Jesus felt that separation and cried out; Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? He couldn’t bear the father forsaking him, even the earth reacted by welcoming darkness all over the earth, yet it was afternoon! All because the Father turned his back on Jesus!
The father looked away! Father, Why Have You Forsaken Me?
As children of God, we make mistakes, we often disappoint God and we outrightly disobey especially with sexual sins. When this happens, we usually think God forsakes us!
But He doesn’t! We are actually the ones that run away from Him as a result of guilt!
We quit reading our Bible, quit going to church, we feel we have disappointed God, we feel less of ourselves and we just run away from anything spiritual. Well, the devil has you right where he wanted, when you do any of that!
When you have messed up, that is the time to run into the father’s embrace and bury yourself in the river of mercy that flows in His bosom.
The devil wants you guilt-ridden, full of regret, caught in the web of your errors, blaming yourself endlessly, and feeling God won’t have you back. This in turn drives one more into the trenches of iniquity! You see, no place is safe when you are away from his presence!
Father, Why Have You Forsaken Me? The father never forsakes us, we are the ones that forsake His presence!
My point this morning? Get back to Him. His loving arms are well spread to embrace you and cleanse you from all errors! Never doubt the father’s love!
Gal 4:6-7 (MSG) You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” [7] Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY The Father loves me. I dive into the embrace if the Father
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, open my eyes to your love
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Gal 4:6 (TPT) And so that we would know for sure that we are his true children, God released the Spirit of Sonship into our hearts—moving us to cry out intimately, “My Father! You’re our true Father!”
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Take a step of action today
Every Husband Must Hear This! I feel like the Samaritan woman this morning, who excitedly went into the town and told all the men about Jesus.
The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? John 4:28 – 29 KJV
I believe men really need to hear by revelation and have an encounter with Jesus. It makes all the difference. Men (of course our husbands) are the ones God gave the command, to love their wives like Christ loved the church.
I guess it just makes a lot of sense that they need an encounter with the man Jesus so that they can learn to be like Him.
What really makes Jesus who He is? What did Jesus represent and what did He come to the world to show us? I believe He came to show us the God kind of faith. To show us how to live the faith life. He lived here on earth as a man to show us how men (by extension, women also) ought to live.
If we are going to love our wives like Christ loved the church, it’s going to be by faith. Jesus wants every Husband to be men of faith. Every Husband Must Hear This
Talking about faith, our example of faith who walked by faith is our father, Abraham. His journey of faith started with God calling him to leave his kindred and father’s house.
I love the Amp translation NOW [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you. [Heb. 11:8-10.] And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].Genesis 12:1 – 2 AMPC
This is the similar instruction God gave to Adam as a key to having a successful marriage.
Therefore a man shall ‘leave’ his father and his mother and shall become united and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24 AMPC
Every Husband is called to a life of faith. It takes faith to leave the familiar and go on a journey trusting in God.
You cannot love a woman if you are a natural man. Challenges of life will come. What will you overcome them with? The bible says faith is our victory. Faith is what gives us victory 100% of the time.
In leaving your father’s house or kindred, God actually wants us to ‘leave’ the ideals, methods, and ways of this natural world. He wants us to live by another standard. Which is the standard of faith. This is done by renewing our minds.
Husbands you have to be men of faith. Every Husband Must Hear This
Romans 12:2 AMPC Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
You love your wife by being ‘a saviour’ to her. You enforce what is written over your marriage.
I remember just before our wedding, I was ill suddenly and was taken to the hospital. I actually passed out. It was the prayer of faith of my fiance, now my husband that revived me.
Life will be full of crises and challenges. Husbands, the greatest gift you can give your wife and family is to be a man of faith.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word. Be a man of the word.
Read the word, study it, meditate on it, confess it and begin to live by faith.
“Look at the proud one, His soul is not right within him, But the righteous will live by his faith [in the true God]. Habakkuk 2:4 AMP
God bless our marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I am a man (woman) of faith. I develop my faith and I experience victory over life’s challenges
PRAYERS FOR THE DAY I receive grace to begin to walk by faith in Jesus’ name
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Look at the proud one, His soul is not right within him, But the righteous will live by his faith [in the true God]. Hab 2:4
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Begin to live by your own faith
God created you to exercise dominion and authority on earth. It is not right for the one who is to exercise dominion to be dominated. You are to be the man and woman God created you to be.
All such things as insecurities, low self-esteem, rejection, condemnation, guilt, approval addiction, and fears, are all an attempt of the enemy to steal your authority from you. He attempts to make you laden with a poor image of yourself. That devil is a liar.
You have what it takes to have dominion. It was inbuilt into you at creation. Every source of insecurity is giving way right now. You cannot be battling with such feelings and expect to take charge of your life.
You take charge of your life by first knowing and believing what God says about you.
God says;
You are the head and not the tail.
You are acceptable in the beloved.
You are the apple of His eyes.
You can do all things through Christ that strengthens you.
Ye are gods and children of the Highest.
You have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
All these and many other promises you have to believe. You are secured in who God says you are. Your approval is not based on your past, who rejected you, your performance, or what you did or didn’t do.
God wants you to enjoy life and have life in abundance. Having life in abundance is being in dominion and exercising your God-given authority, where you are not intimidated by anything or anybody.
Your relationships are good. You are trusting and hoping in the Lord. You have faith in your heavenly Father that He loves you and so he is mindful of you.
Walk in dominion and God bless your marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY God’s vision over my life will not be prolonged.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, this year, your vision for my life will speak!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY This vision–message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming––it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time. Habakkuk 2:3 MSG
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Write down plans for the coming months
We serve a God who delights in doing the things that we think are impossible. We call Him the God of the possibilities.
What is it in your life that seems to look impossible? What is that difficult thing that has defied all solutions? What is that issue? Is it barrenness or joblessness? Is it a mountain of debt or bills to pay? Is it a financial need and you are tired of the same level?
Are you on the same spot for years? Rejoice, for we serve the God of all possibilities. He is coming through for you.
The bible says:
‘For with God nothing shall be impossible’ Luke 1:37(KJV)
It is an absolute statement. Nothing shall be impossible, not with the government or with your rich uncle but with God. Do you have this God in your life? Then be rest assured.
And he said, the things which are impossible with men are possible with God”. – Luke 18:27 (KJV)
You have to believe God’s word. He said those things that are impossible with men are possible with God.
Your situations that are impossible are becoming possible right now. Do you believe that?
What God wants is that you believe.
Just believe in the one He has sent. Believe in Jesus. Believe what He says he can do.
Maybe your marriage is not what you dreamt it would be like. You feel this is not what you bargained for.
All your mentors have tried talking to you and it looks like it’s over. Trust again.
For nothing shall be impossible with God. He will do the impossible
God bless your marriage
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY God has a purpose for my life. I will cooperate with that purpose
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, show me what I need to know right now in my life
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. –Proverbs 3:5 (MSG)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Read Papa Kenneth Hagin’s book on “Following God’s plan for your life”
God wants us to serve him with the integrity of heart.
In our homes and in our individual lives, God requires that we serve Him with an upright heart. Serve God in the faithfulness of your heart. Seeking to know God and His ways will engender walking in the integrity of your heart, where you are not deceived in your own heart.
Some people try to mock God. They serve God unfaithfully and expect the reward of being faithful.
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. – Gal 6:7
What you reap is a function of what you sow; that is God’s word. You can’t serve God without integrity and expect the reward of those that serve God with integrity.
David served God with the integrity of his heart. He was sincere. He was true to himself and to God. He loved God genuinely, he served him with the whole of his heart. He had no other God. Were David’s heart to be opened, you will see him serving God with the truth. He had no skeleton in his cupboard.
So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. – Psa 78:72
God promised that if we walk in the integrity of heart and in uprightness, keeping all His statutes, He will establish us. In the works of our hands, in our homes, and on the job, He wants to show Himself faithful.
And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. – 1Ki 9:4 – 5
Let us be true to ourselves. Let us not think we can do things on our own. Let our heartbeat be to do His will. Some of us don’t want to do things God’s way because we think His ways are too difficult.
In our hearts, let us check for any form of deception that may want to deceive our hearts. As a husband or as a wife, seek to serve God with the integrity of your heart. God is searching for those whose hearts are upright towards him.
God bless your marriage.
CONFESSION FOR THE DAY I have the wisdom of God to do the needful
PRAYER FOR THE DAY Pray that God will teach and instruct you in the way to go
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye (Psalms 32:8 KJV)
ACTION PLAN FOR THE DAY Discuss the issue of integrity
