Orange Moon Friday, March 17, 2023 “A Father’s Perfect Way”

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…      

"A Father's Perfect Way"

   

    I recently thought of a word I like, but which hasn't crossed my mind in quite a while.  "Mollycoddle" means to overindulge or overprotect, often referring to parents who seek to keep their children from discovering the realities of life, and learning by challenge how to deal with them.

   Our Heavenly Father does not work that way, does He?  "Thou hast shown Thy people hard things" (Psalm 60:3).  Our Heavenly Father unselfishly loves His trusting children, which includes both tender mercies and "hard things."  "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him" (Proverbs 13:24).  God is the greatest of all consolers, "the God of all comfort" (II Corinthians 1:3).  He does not, however, coddle - or mollycoddle - us.  Instead, He administers both comfort and challenge, often in ways that surprise us.  All believers have times when we look to our Lord, believing ourselves to require His tender caress, as it were.  Instead, He orchestrates events and conditions that swat us firmly on the backside, commanding and demanding that we get up and stop feeling sorry for ourselves.  On other occasions, just when we think we require a swift kick in the pants from our Father, He works to encourage us with the promise of forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration.  He knows us so much better than we know ourselves, comforting without coddling, and challenging without condemning.

   "But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion… Whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth" (Psalm 86:5; Hebrews 12:6).

   I suppose Molly coddled her children.  Other parents exercise overbearing ways with their sons and daughters.  God does neither.  In perfect wisdom, with perfect motives and methods, our Heavenly Father ever works to fulfill His purpose of conforming us to the spiritual and moral image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Be it comfort or challenge, we can be sure He administers what we need, when we need it.  Such a Father can be trusted completely, and submitted to wholeheartedly because…

"As for God, His way is perfect."

(II Samuel 22:31)

"Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God.  Thy Spirit is good, lead me into the land of uprightness."

(Psalm 143:10)

Weekly Memory Verse

     That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

(Luke 16:15)

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