Father's Day

I have two fathers. The first one I met after my natural birth. My natural father appeared very big to me as I was growing up. The fact that he was strong and able to do wonders impossible for me to do, did not escape even my childhood mind. He could pick me up and carry me with one hand. He could reach high things without the assistance of chairs or step stools. He could throw a baseball a long ways. And he could drive our family's car. I could not ever imagine how he did such wonderful things.

My Heavenly Father, I met when I was 18 years old. I never dreamed just how big and great he was. And I later learned just how incredibly wonderful He is. I thought that I had found Him. Now, I know, he always was pursuing me. My whole childhood is covered with memories of God the Father loving me, in spite of me. He lovingly provided me with regular glimpses of Himself through my parents, friends, and later, through those He sent to witness to me. He never stopped loving me and pursuing me, even when my soul was at its ugliest. I know now, His choosing me and saving me, was for His purposes and glory, and not in any way based on my own personal worth and merit.
God, my father, has loved me unconditionally. My natural father does this to, to a certain extent. But, only the Heavenly Father knew the depths of depravity that my soul was in, and how much further it fell from there, into the darkness of consuming sin. And yet He still loved me and loves me unconditionally. Only God has the kind of love that can love the unloveable. Only God the Father can reach into the depths of the mire of sin and deliver the dead into new life. Only God, gives all to the undeserving. The all that He gives is the life of Jesus, His Son for the likes of me...and for you.
God, my father, I love you. Thank you for giving me your best treasure through your Son Jesus. Thank you for forgiving me, and justifying me, through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. And I pray, that those that read this, that you love with that same unconditional love, that you loved me with, will receive it freely with joy.

Romans 5:8: ...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV online)

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
1 Corinthians 18-31
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, [1] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being [2] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him [3] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (ESV online)

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
King James Version from Biblegateway.com