Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1 (ESV) Dave’s teenage son sat whimpering on the sofa. He’d just arrived home well past his curfew, and a little over, what might be deemed, a reasonable limit for a 16year-old. “I - I’m sorry, dad,” he whined. “Sean, you know we believe you’re too young to consume alcohol!” asserted his father while his mother unleashed her disdain at his behavior.
Dave had raised his children as Christian believers. Both his son and daughter had discovered their own faith and accepted Christ as Lord. They had been schooled in the principles of Scripture and encouraged to acknowledge God in all they do. Yet, here was a case when his teenage son had violated the standards his father had set and had compromised his example of faith.
As Dave watched his repentant son rocking on the sofa, he was filled with deep compassion. “Sean,” he said, “you know you have broken my trust. You have violated the standards I’ve set for you for godly living, and that’s sin. But I love you. Though you may prove to be the source of grief to your mother and me, we will never, never stop loving you.” Hugging his sobbing son, Dave added, “Sean, there is nothing you could ever do that would cause us to stop loving you. We loved you before you broke our confi dence, and we still love you.”
Young Sean is indicative of the state of man. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and violated the impeccable standards of God’s word. However, we read that while we were still sinners, God demonstrated his love for us in that Jesus died to redeem us from the curse of sin. Like Sean, you and I have broken our Father’s confidence and violated his standards. Yet, on confession of our sin, our Father is faithful and just to forgive us. He loves us and nothing, nothing will ever separate us from this love. Our God is faithful and his love endures forever. What a prime example of fatherhood.
Suan apologized to his mom and dad and repented before God for his wrongdoing and never violated their standards in this way again. It was his father’s uncompromised standards and his uncompromised love that changed the heart of this rebellious young man. Today, Sean is married with his own children, setting in them the same standards that his father set in him.