"The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." (Psalm 103:13)

I have said many times that one of the most effective attacks that Satan, our adversary, has inflicted upon our world and society has been that of the abusive or absent father. You might ask, why is that so effective? It is effective because inside every one of us is a mental picture of God. Christian counselors and Christian psychologists have proven that the image we have of God is most often determined by the image we have of our own fathers. Satan, who is no fool...well, at least concerning this truth, knows that the best way to distort the image of God in the hearts of human beings is by distorting the image of what a good father looks like.

Dr. David Seamands in the his book entitled, Healing Of Memories, writes, "It is surprising the number of genuine Christians who are caught in an inner conflict between what they think about God and what they feel about God (and how He feels toward them). Their head theology is excellent, but their gut-level knee-ology (what they feel when they pray) is terrible." He goes on to point out that the reasons many experience this distortion of God in their mind is because they did not have a good and compassionate earthly father.

The passage above clearly points out that God is a father who is tender and compassionate. He has eyes of mercy and grace. He watches over us with great concern and empathy caring only for what is best for us. When we are broken, hurt or downtrodden, He stands before us not with folded arms, but open arms, inviting us into His embrace. When we feel defeated, He lifts us up and carries us. No story better illustrates our heavenly Father's love than the following one.

In the Summer Olympics of 1992, Derek Redmond was the favorite in the 400 meters. He had trained all his life for this race. He had the world record time in the event, and he had won all his earlier heats, but he had never won the gold medal. In the final race, he shot out of the starting blocks in an unbelievable start, and was on a world record time as he rounded the last turn. But suddenly, he went down in a heap on the track. He had torn his Achilles tendon.   The crowd gasped, stunned by what had happened. Slowly Derek rose to his feet and began to hop on one leg to the finish line experiencing agonizing pain with each hop. Suddenly, an older man made his way out of the stands. He pushed past the security guards who tried to stop him, and ran to Derek's side. It was his father. He put his arm around Derek and said, "You don't have to do this." But Derek said,"Yes, I have to." "Then we'll finish together," said the father. In an unforgettable scene, these two men, father and son, walked to the finish line together. Derek Redmond never did get that gold medal, but he has the memory of his father who shared his pain and finished the race with him.

If you did not have a father like that, know that you have a heavenly Father who loves you and who will lift you up when you are downtrodden. He will walk with you to the finish line. Perhaps life has been hard on you. Maybe you feel defeated. Maybe you feel there is no way back, you can't recover. Know that your heavenly Father hasn't forgotten you. Despite all that has happened in the past, He wants to accompany you on this race called "life."

Equally, during this time of stress, uncertainty, and anxiety, I believe that God the Father would say to us, "Lean in to me. Let me support you and strengthen you through your own personal fears and anxiety during this difficult time."