The Fathers Face

Too many years ago to remember, I came across the story of a young husband who lost his wife, leaving him with a small boy to raise on his own.  The night after his wife and the boy's mother was laid to rest, the little boy wanted to sleep with his father.

As they lay in the darkness, the child, unable to sleep asked, "Daddy?"  His father responded, "Yes son?"  "Daddy, is your face toward me?"  Through his tears, the young widower replied, "Yes son, my face is toward you.  Why do you ask?"  The reply he heard in the darkness was, "I think I will be OK as long as your face is toward me."

Do you remember those days when just knowing your parents were looking out for you, paying attention to what was going on around you, ready to step in and protect you or provide for your needs?  Do you remember how safe you felt, how worry free?

What if we knew that The Father's face was toward us, that he stood ready to protect and provide.  What if we knew that saw every hurt, heard every cry, knew every danger and was already working out our deliverance, already sending a blessing, already moving to act on our behalf?  What if we really believed that God's face was toward us?

Let me share some Good News: The Father's face is absolutely toward us!  "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (1 Pet 3:12).  His eyes are watching over us and his ears are listening for our cries, ready to rush to our side, providing and protecting his children.

Of course, this isn't good news for those who do evil, who take advantage of the weak or ignore the needy.  God is fully aware of those individuals as well, only he turns his face away from them, allowing them to reap the evil they are sowing (Gal 6:7).

But for those of us who turn away from evil, seeking the Father's face, there grace and mercy and love abound - there the Father's face is toward us and his hands uphold us and he "will never leave us as orphans" (Jn 14:18) but always stand by us, watching over us.  Jus' Say'n.