March 6
A Father’s Voice
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
––Psalm 29:3-4
For a lot men I’ve met and ministered to over the years, there’s an invisible wall that makes it hard for them to hear the love in God’s voice. For most of them, it’s not because they don’t believe God loves them, or that He’s not a caring, compassionate God.
A lot of the time it’s because the voice they hear when they think of a “father” is the voice of their earthly dad. For some, that voice was harsh, judgmental, and condemning. I get that. As much as I loved and respected my own dad, a lot of the words I heard as a kid were pretty harsh. There was a lot of yelling too.
Sometimes, though, it wasn’t that a man’s dad wasn’t present, but that he just wasn’t involved or didn’t seem to care. As Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel said, “The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.” In some ways, being ignored is just as bad as being screamed at. Maybe worse.
According to a survey by Statista, only 40% of men say they had a “very good” relationship with their father. So the next time you are in church or at a sports stadium, look around. Only four out of the 10 guys you see had a very good relationship with their dad.
In your own prayer time with God, whose voice are you hearing? When you imagine that small, still voice that Elijah heard on the mountain, what does it sound like? Is it harsh? Judging? Critical? Brother, one of the biggest accomplishments Satan can achieve is to convince you that God’s voice is unloving or hyper-critical. Don’t confuse God’s desire to grow and mature you into the man He’s designed you to be with a false god that’s always looking at you with a furrowed brow. The Father loves you too much to allow you to stay stuck on the outskirts of your destiny.
John 3:16 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible. But this time, I want you to read it without earthly filters. Imagine Jesus smiling at you as He looks you in the eye and says with great compassion and love , this paraphrase of that verse:
“For God so loved YOU that He gave Me, His only begotten Son, that if you believe in Me you will not perish but have everlasting life.”
Your Father loved you THAT much. He LOVES you that much right now. Invite the Holy Spirit to replace the harsh voices you may hear when you pray with the true voice of the Father. It may take time, but I guarantee you this: He will never stop loving you, and He will always be there for you.
Father, it can be hard to hear Your loving voice sometimes. I accept Your love, and invite Your Holy Spirit to retune my ear to hear You more clearly.
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