Fathers As Mighty Men Of God

A FATHER’S DAY MESSAGE
Becoming A Mighty Man For God

In June we celebrate Father’s Day. How thankful I am for a godly father whose life had such a great influence upon mine. Dad was saved at the age of twenty in a little country church in Southern New Jersey, when he first heard the gospel. He went on to preach that same life-changing message for 65 years before the Lord took him home at 86. Over those many years he directed a world-wide ministry where multitudes came to know Christ as Savior. My dad was a mighty man for God.

I will always cherish the memories of his life and service for the Lord. I’ve often been asked, “Don't you ever get tired of being referred to as George Palmer’s son?” My answer is always, “No, it is a great honor.” In these troubled times, God is looking for men who will be mighty for Him. He’s challenging us, commanding us and calling us to be husbands and fathers who will rise above the ordinary, seize the moment and lead our families for Him in a mighty way.

In 2 Samuel 23:8-10 we read of another of God’s “mighty men.” His name is Eleazar, which means, “whom God helps.” He is mentioned again in 1 Chronicles 11:12-14 as one of David’s “mighty men.” Let’s see why.

Faithful
First, Eleazar was faithful – that is, loyal, trustworthy and devoted. In 1 Corinthians 4:2 we read, “Moreover, it is required ... that a man be found faithful.” We dads have been entrusted with the responsibility to lead our families for God. This is a sacred trust. We must be faithful to the Lord, our wives, God’s Word and prayer. We must be faithful to train our children, aid our church, witness to the unsaved and to labor well at our job. There’s not an area of life that does not require faithfulness. Luke 16:10 reminds us that faithfulness to the small things qualifies us for much larger things. There may be many things that others can do better than we can, but we can all be faithful. Faithfulness is always characteristic of a mighty man for God.

Fearless
Second, Eleazar was fearless. When the Philistines came against Israel and many men fled, Eleazar fearlessly fought against them. (2 Sam. 23:10). The faint-hearted flee when things get rough. Someone wisely said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” That was Eleazar!

When I was a young pastor, I visited a tough Marine who was home from Vietnam recovering from a near-fatal injury. He had been shot and left for dead. He crawled into the jungle and was later found by another patrol. No one expected him to live, but he did. I asked him about his feelings of ever returning to the jungles of Vietnam to fight again. His reply shocked me: he said he hoped he would be sent back. Talk about fearless!

Being a godly husband and father is not for the faint-hearted. It can be overwhelming. Too many men these days have grown weary of the battle, given up and walked out on God and their families. The closer we live to the Lord, the greater will be our courage to fearlessly face the challenges that are always there. That’s what it takes to be a mighty man for God.

Full Of Fight
Finally, Eleazar was full of fight! Second Samuel 23:10 tells us that he fought so tenaciously that “his hand ... stuck to the sword.” As he smote the Philistines his muscles cramped and he could not let go of his weapon. The result was a great victory for the Lord’s people. Too many men have lost their “fight.” They’ve gotten discouraged, dropped their weapons and given up the battle. Not Eleazar! Others quit, but not him.

And so today, the battle for the family rages on more intense than ever. The enemy is relentless. His goal is to disarm and defeat God’s men in the home, and he uses every tactic at his disposal. We must be mighty in God’s Spirit and stay in the battle. We can’t give in, give up or give out. We must give our best and be found faithful. We must be fearless, and so full of fight that we refuse to quit. Never forget, God is counting on us and so are our families. This Father’s Day start becoming a mighty man for God!

By Jack Palmer