“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the father to the children…” – Malachi 4:5-6 (NKJV)
Fathers’ love for their children is so important that without it, a curse comes upon the land (Malachi 4:6b – NKJV). Beloved, God’s Word is very specific. He said He would turn the hearts of fathers to their children, not parents, but the male. And not their minds but their hearts.
Fathers are important simply because God created them to lead and protect their families. The greatest tragedy of the materialistic culture is that men have been demeaned for their status as sons of God. Not realising that they have spirits and souls, some have little or no awareness of what they are to their children. Truly the devil came to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), and the father’s identity has been stolen.
John and Paula Sandford, authors of ‘Restoring the Christian Family’ wrote, “If a Father fails to be with his child, that child’s spirit withers. Jesus told us that unless we abide in Him, we as a branch withers (John 15:5-6 NIV), so must a child abide in his father’s favor and love. Affection is the effective transfer of energy. Fathers impart that strength.”
Our children are the future leaders, but many of these children are falling through the cracks of society because they are products of absentee or neglectful fathers. What can we do to fix the problem? We must teach fathers how to reconnect to the Vine, to our Father’s love.
And let us not be only consumed by our children, but whenever and wherever possible, let us play a father role to children experiencing fatherlessness. As we become fathers to the fatherless, be cognisant of the fact that they need our affirmation, validation, and love. During the interaction, let them know they are valuable and priceless and that God, their Heavenly Father, has not abandoned them. Fathers, your love has power.
Read: Matthew 5:48; Luke 15:18-24
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 31:1-8; Mark 13:32-37; Mark 14:1-16; Leviticus 15; Leviticus 16
