A Letter From My Father

“All scripture is God-breathed.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

I've met quite a few people who treat the Bible like a college text book. 

And they seem to know a lot about the bible. 

But I wonder how really know God personally, intimately? Like a child knows his own father?

So I prefer instead to look at the Bible—God's Word—as a Letter from my Father.

Here's how a note from my Dad might have looked when I was younger:

"Mark, don't forget to take out the trash. And be kind to your Mom and your brothers and sister. Take care of the house while I'm away. I'll see you when I get home. Love, Dad."

That short note says a lot.  

First, I know that my Dad loves me. Nothing can ever change that. He's my Dad. I'm his son. The foundation of my childhood was my parents incredible love for me. I will never forget that.

Also, nothing in his note is merely a hypothetical suggestion. These are all my father's directives. They must be carried out. And even though my Dad loved me, if I ignore his directives, there will be consequences. He could be a very strict disciplinarian at times. And I had the utmost respect for his authority as my father. Taking out the trash was one of my chores. It was not negotiable. And though I did obey his directives knowing there would be consequences if I disobeyed him, more than that, I loved my Dad and wanted to please him. 

And more than anything else, if I was not especially kind and respectful to my Mom, but also to my siblings, there would be swift consequences. You simply were not disrespectful to my Mom. There was never any excuse for that. And retribution was very painful. Not that I wanted to be disrespectful to her. She was such a wonderful mother. She loved us so much. And she constantly gave of herself for our good. But I was an obstinate and rebellious little sinner. And when I mistreated my Dad's wife... oh boy, look out! Punishment was soon to follow. And you always got what was coming to you. "Just wait till your father gets home young man!" Those words instilled fear into us when we were disrespectful brats to my Mom. 

As the oldest son, Dad put a lot of responsibility on me to look after the house while he was away hunting, or camping with his friends. "Take care of your Mom while I'm gone" was something I heard from time to time as a young teenager. And I did my best to honor the trust and responsibility he placed upon me to do so. 

But within all of this, I always knew my Dad would come home as he said he would. And though he was not a perfect husband or father, I never once doubted my Dad's love for me, or for our family. He was a man with true integrity, and was always faithful to love us, protect us, and provide for us. I always felt safe with my dad. And that always instilled a peace and assurance in our hearts as a family that Dad was always there for us. There was never a doubt about that. My Dad was absolutely trustworthy.

So when I read the Bible as a Letter from my Father, I see in page after page, His incredible love for me. I see His absolute faithfulness and trustworthiness. I see His amazing grace, forgiveness and mercy towards me. I see His care, protection and promises to me. And I see that He will, just as He has promised to do, come back to take me Home, where I will be with Him forever, in the place He has prepared for me, and for all those who love Him and call Him; "Father."

Jesus said:

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” (John 14:1-4)

In the Letter from my Father, I see many commands and instructions. I see lots of teaching and correction. I see admonishment. And I see even more encouragement. I see many examples of how I am not to be. And I see many more of how He wants me to be. I see warnings. I see edification. I see His face and His heart in the pages of this eternal Letter to His children. I see the loving sacrifice He made for us all by dying on that cross. I see His power as God in rising from the dead and defeating death, hell and the grave. I see His glory as He ascended back to His rightful throne in Heaven. I see sin and the devil ultimately defeated and thrown into the lake of fire for all eternity. I see myself and billions of His other children in the new heaven and the new earth He will make one day. I see us all as His eternal family living in the New Jerusalem that comes down out of Heaven, adorned as a bride for her Husband. For her Divine Groom; Jesus.

And I see in His Love Letter to us, a bright shining place where His glory shines so bright that there is no need of the sun or the moon. I see a place where there is no more death, no more pain, no more sorrow, and no more sickness, forever. I see perfect peace, joy, happiness, and satisfied contentment, with Him, forever and ever.

You can't get that from a college text book.

But you can get that from Jesus—the Living Word. He is the way, the truth, and the life; and no one comes to my Father in Heaven except through Him.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.