A Father To The Fatherless

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him – his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. (Psalm 68:4-6)
 
I want you to take a second and think about the Leaning Tower of Pisa. We marvel at it not in spite of its imperfection, but because of its imperfection and uniqueness. If it were just the Tower of Pisa, very few people would care anything about it. But because it leans, a million people a year travel to see it. It leans because it didn’t get the best foundation, but despite that, it’s still standing, and we love it for that.
 
Some of us are kind of like this tower. Not all of us got the greatest start in life. Not all of us live in picture-perfect circumstances, particularly when it comes to our family of origin.  
 
While holidays like Father’s Day are times for celebration and joy for a lot of people, they can be painful times for other people, people who grew up without a father in the picture, people who were abandoned or abused by their father. When it came to their relationship with their father and the impact of that relationship on the rest of their life, they didn’t have the greatest foundation.
 
But even if your relationship with your father growing up was rocky or non-existent, that doesn’t mean God can’t redeem your life and use you in incredible ways. Even if your foundation wasn’t solid from the start, you’re still standing, and that means God has a purpose for you. He has a plan for your life. He is calling you to pursue Him, to follow Him, and to point others to Him. And all along the way, He promises to be with you. He won’t ever abandon you. He won’t ever hurt you. He won’t ever leave you hanging out to dry. He will always love you, always to want what’s best for you, and always guide you down the right path.