BIBLICAL FATHERHOOD--THE GREAT NEED OF THE WORLD 9) THE SHEPHERDING FATHER HEARS THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE FOR HIS FAMILY

Men, whose voice are you listening to? Psalm 97:7-8 and repeated again in Hebrews 3:7, 15 and 4:1 says, "Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart."

As fathers, how can we teach our children to hear the voice of the Shepherd if we have not tuned our own ears to hear His voice? Perhaps, because of Israel's dullness of hearing God raised up certain prophets among them who could hear His voice and proclaim it to the people.

Every father owes it to His family to hear God's voice on the behalf of the children until they are old enough to discern His voice for themselves. And even then, he still listens to God's voice on their behalf, to fill in the gaps.

Eli failed to prophecy and speak God's messages adequately to his own sons and it cost him dearly (1 Samuel, chapters 1- 4). What a shame it is that fathers can and will prophecy to others and yet fail to give God's Word to their own children. Every day, God wants to speak through fathers to their children. Where are the fathers who will take the time to seek the Lord for their families?

Isaiah 38:19 says, "The father to the children shall make known thy truth."

Fathers, be reminded, that Jesus Christ lives in us as Prophet, Priest, and King. Because of this we can, and must, be a prophet, priest, and king to our children.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell