"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1).

A pastor gave a preschool class the assignment of drawing a picture of God. They all got busy with their crayons, and one little girl, who happened to be his daughter, drew a man in a suit and tie. When he asked her about it, she said, "I don't know what God looks like, so I drew a picture of my daddy instead."

An awesome responsibility

Someone has said that children are not likely to see God as their Father unless they see something of God in their father. What a responsibility!

Fathers, do you remember holding your newborn child for the first time? Remember the overwhelming sense of wonder and joy? Perhaps mixed in with that sense of awe was a sense of apprehension. Can I handle this? Can I provide all that this little one needs? Can I protect him from all that would threaten him? Can I teach her all that she needs to know?

Paul writes, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). God says through his prophet Moses, "Impress [my words] on your children" (Deuteronomy 6:7).

The task becomes more daunting when we realize that children learn more by watching than listening. What have my children learned from me? How often have they seen me react in frustration and anger? How often have they seen worldly things become too important to me? Sadly, I must admit there have been times when they have seen more of the devil than of God in me.

An awesome love

When a father holds his newborn child for the first time, there is an incredible love. Let something threaten that child, and watch a father react!

If a human, sinful father so loves his child, how much must God love us! "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1). Watch him react when something threatens to take us away from him.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking thing that could happen to a father is to stand by his son in a courtroom, knowing that his son is guilty of a horrendous crime. As of this writing, I have heard that Timothy McVeigh's father was not going to be present at his son's execution. Can you blame him?

God the Father was not present for a time at his Son's execution either. But the reason was different. He turned his back on his Son because at that execution he had made his Son guilty of all that we have done wrong and all that we have failed to do. That was the extent to which he was willing to go, when our sins threatened to take us away from him.