Our Father Knows, Loves, Cares

Feature 1 – January 2015 — Grace & Truth Magazine

OurFATHERKnows
OurFATHERLoves
OurFATHERCares

“My Father and your Father.” —John 20:17 KJV

One of the greatest blessings we have as Christians is that we can call God our Father. Although the name “Father” was used of God a few times in the Old Testament, it was in the sense of God as the Creator or the One to whom reverence or honor was due (see Malachi 1:6). It was not until the Son of the Father (2 Jn. 3) came into this world that the name of God as Father was fully revealed. The Lord Himself stated that “neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him” (Mt. 11:27). Only the Son could reveal the Father. He did not become an angel to reveal Him to angels, but He became a Man in order to reveal Him to men (Heb. 2:16). For us to be able to know God as our Father required not only His incarnation, but also His death and resurrection because our sins stood in the way of this new relationship. It was only after He was risen from the dead, when His work on the cross was complete and all our sins were put forever away, that the Lord Jesus could give that wonderful message to Mary Magdalene, “Go to My brethren and say unto them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, to My God, and your God” (Jn. 20:17). Through His finished work the Lord Jesus has set us in His own place before His God and Father. What a wonderful privilege! We hope that all of our readers know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and so can enjoy this relationship, for He Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by Me” (Jn. 14:6). It is only in knowing Him that we can call God our Father.

Our Father Knows Us
“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows ... And your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.” —Luke 12:6-7,30

Do you ever feel like you have been forgotten? More than once I have been waiting to see a doctor in his office when I have been forgotten because the receptionist failed to let the doctor know I had arrived. People, even those who are close and love us, may forget about us or our needs. But isn’t it wonderful that our God and Father never forgets about us!

We are told in both Luke 12:7 and in Matthew 10:30 that He has all the hairs of your head numbered. Have you ever tried to count how many hairs you have or how many are on the heads of those you love? Our Father even knows if you have less hair today than yesterday. He is always up-to-date in His knowledge of everything about you and your circumstances! If He takes note in such detail about your hair, we can be sure that there is nothing in your life that escapes His notice or that He forgets about. He knows your financial needs. He knows your health needs. He knows the needs in your marriage and in your family. He knows your spiritual needs and those areas where you may be struggling. He knows the needs you have that you have not even realized yet!

The Lord uses two birds to further describe our Father’s knowledge and care of us. The first is a sparrow. In Luke 12 the Lord tells us that the Father does not forget one sparrow even though they are birds of little value. Similarly in Matthew 10:29 the Lord Jesus said that not one sparrow falls to the ground without our Father’s knowing. He knows the circumstances of every sparrow in the world, and cares for all of them. Do you think He would care less for us? Scripture tells us that we are of more value to our Father than many sparrows.

The second bird mentioned to illustrate to us our Father’s care for us is the raven (Lk. 12:24). The raven does not sow seeds or reap a harvest, yet God provides for its needs. Job 38:41 tells us that the young ravens cry to God for His food, and Psalm 147:9 tells us that God provides for them. Do you think that if God, as the Creator, hears the cries of the young ravens, knows what they need and provides it for them, that as our Father He will not hear our cries as His children? Knowing our needs even better than we do, will He not provide exactly what we need? Of course our faith may be tested at times, but we can be assured that our Father hears and knows. We are of much more value to our Father than the ravens. Since He saved us from eternal judgment, we can trust Him for our day to day needs. The Lord Jesus assures our hearts that “your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things” (Lk. 12:30). We can trust His care and provision. “He that spared not His own Son, how will He not with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

Our Father Loves Us
“For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God.” —John 16:27

I am sure that every believer reading this article knows and loves John 3:16. That verse tells us of God’s love which was demonstrated for the whole world (all the people in it) by His giving His only begotten Son so that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but receive eternal life. We believe, though, that John 16:27 goes farther than this as the name Father implies a relationship. A man may know many children, but he does not become a father until he and his wife have children themselves. He then enters into this new relationship with them as their father. In a similar way, the name of God as Father implies a relationship. This is why the name of Father could not be used in John 3:16. God does not have a relationship with all the people in the world, but He does have a relationship with those who believe in and love His Son.

The Father had a relationship with His only-begotten Son even before the world began. The Lord Jesus spoke of this in John 17:24: “Thou lovest Me before the foundation of the world.” The Father has always loved the Son, and now, as Father, He also loves those who love His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe that He came forth from the Father. Before the foundation of the world, the only begotten Son knew the Father’s love. Now, all who believe are the children of God (Jn 1:12-13) and sons of God (Gal. 4:5), so we can know the Father’s love too.

John 17:23 is a verse that tells us something amazing: “Thou [the Father] ... hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” We are loved by the Father with the same love as He loves the Lord Jesus! We cannot understand it, but we can rest and rejoice in this wonderful truth!

Our Father Cares For Us
“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.” —1 Peter 5:7

Do you have cares or burdens? Are there things that weigh you down in your personal life, in your family, in your work or among the local assembly of Christians with whom you meet? I am sure that we all have heavy hearts sometimes. What are we to do with these burdens? The apostle Peter gave us the answer in the verse above. Notice that he did not tell us to cast “some of our care” upon our God and Father. He did not say, “Only cast your family cares upon Him,” “Only cast your money worries upon Him,” or “Only cast your light cares upon Him.” No, he said, “casting ALL your care upon Him.” Certainly all we have mentioned is included and much more, even anything that causes us a care, whether small or great. Why? Because He, our Father, cares for us.

We have seen that our Father knows our needs. If He doesn’t miss a sparrow’s falling to the ground, certainly He sees that pressing trouble in your life at the present time. We have seen that our Father loves us. He gave His Son for us in order that we might be brought into a relationship with Him as His children. He loves us as His children far more than any earthly father has ever loved his own children. He knows us, loves us and cares for us.

It is interesting that the Greek word for “casting” literally means “to fling.” Don’t hold onto that care, burden or anxiety – it is too great for you. Fling it into His arms and let Him carry it for you. He is strong enough to carry your troubles and you too!

The Peace Of God
“Be careful [or anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6-7

These verses remind us that we can bring our little concerns, our big problems, our sicknesses, our families, our money worries – “every thing” to God in prayer. Then while we wait for His sure answer according to our true need as He knows it (Phil. 4:19), we have the assurance that His peace will keep, or guard (the Greek is a military word, like “garrison”) our hearts. We need not be anxious.

Remember the Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemene brought everything in relation to the work He was going to accomplish on the cross to His Father in prayer. It is solemn to think that just the anticipation of the Cross brought such agony to our blessed Lord (Lk. 22:44). Notice, then, that when the Lord Jesus rose up from prayer He was characterized by perfect peace. His concern was for His disciples. Even when being unjustly accused, the Lord Jesus at just the right moment looked at Peter in order to begin the work of restoration in his soul (Lk. 22:61). None of us will ever have to face what our Lord faced in that solemn hour, but the same peace that He had can be ours. He has said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn. 14:27).

When we believed on the Lord Jesus and in His finished work on the cross, we received peace with God. As we bring everything to our Father in prayer we can enjoy our hearts’ being guarded by the peace of God, even if our circumstances have not changed. Then, later in Philippians 4, Paul speaks of the God of peace (v.9). We live in a world of turmoil, where everything is changing so quickly. However, nothing shakes God’s throne. We can enjoy communion with the God of peace, resting with Him in the midst of this restless world, knowing that He is with us.

Let Us Be Encouraged
Our Father knows if one little sparrow falls to the ground – how much more His eye is upon us. The Father loves us even as He loves the Lord Jesus. We can bring all our worries, anxieties and cares to our Father and fling them into His arms to carry for us. As we bring everything to Him in prayer, we can enjoy His peace guarding our hearts and minds in this weary world. We can know that He, the God of peace, is with us in our circumstances while we wait to meet the Lord in the air (1 Th. 4:16-17). Then He will bring us to the Father’s house where we will know our Father’s love and care throughout the eternal ages (Jn. 14:2-3; Eph. 2:7)!

By Kevin Quartell