When You Need a Faithful Father - Encouragement for Today - April 22, 2025

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Lynn CowellApril 22, 2025

When You Need a Faithful Father
LYNN COWELL

Lee en español

“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:7 (NLT)

What comes to your mind when I say the word “father”?

At one time, I would have responded with two words: “provider” and “distant.” That’s how I’d describe my dad. He was a consistent father, working hard to provide for me and my seven siblings. But working so much left him unable to be an attentive dad like I needed and maybe he wanted.

As I grew up, this concept of fatherhood transferred to how I pictured my heavenly Father. While I chose to trust Jesus as my Savior, I didn’t know God as the loving, flawless Father He is. Thankfully, scriptures like today's key verse helped me understand Him:

“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 36:7).

The deepest love began filling the emptiness of my heart. I could see God had all the time in the world, and He had time for me. He wasn’t bothered by me, and I didn’t have to be at my best when I came to Him!

Jesus tells us that when we see Him, we also see the Father (John 14:9). In Mark 10, Jesus surrounded Himself with little children, tenderly modeling His Father’s kind, nurturing, vulnerable and present love. Sometimes children can be messy or germy with runny noses — but if these children were, Jesus wasn’t bothered. “And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them” (Mark 10:16, NIV).

Psalm 139:5 similarly says, “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head” (NLT). This is the tender, compassionate and attentive love I wanted to know more deeply. Seeking out scriptures that showed this fatherly heart of God created a desire to be near Him. As I drew close, God’s fatherly love began healing my heart wounds.

Understanding the whole heart of God began filling the hole in my heart. When I saw Him not as a magnifying glass constantly looking for my wrongs but as Love Himself, it set my heart free. I saw my Abba Father (Mark 14:36) as trustworthy for my today and my future.

As you learn more about Father God and draw near to Him, you’ll find He is more kind and loving than you ever imagined. Soaking in His Scriptures can correct any misconceptions you and I may have of what a father is.

Does this mean He gives us everything we want? Not exactly. A good Father only gives what He knows is best for His child (James 1:17). He does give us unconditional love — both when we get things right and even when we sin. This is the fatherly heart of God, whose love is flowing continually toward you and me, perfect and unrestricted.

Heavenly Father, thank You for drawing me to Yourself, pulling me close to a place where my wounded heart is safe and can receive Your care and healing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Do you have a young woman in your life who needs to experience the tender, healing love of Father God? You can help her by gifting her Michelle Nietert and Lynn Cowell’s new book, releasing today: Strong and Secure: 100 Devotions for Young Women. Get your copy here!

ENGAGE

Many of us are navigating life’s ups and downs, and it can be easy to believe that God’s love depends on how well we’re doing or whether we’ve got it all together. But the truth is: God’s love for you is never based on your performance or circumstances. That’s why Lynn put together a new, free resource for you … Never Too Far: 5 Days of Trusting God’s Love for You, No Matter What. Through these devotions, you’ll learn how to trust in His love more fully and realize that you are never too far for His grace to reach you. It’s also a great resource for the young women in your life. Click here to download today!

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Romans 8:15-17, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him” (CSB).

What word comes to your mind when you think of the word “father”? How closely does your idea of a “father” reflect the true heart of Father God and His love for you?

What work might you and your Father do together in your heart so you have a correct image of Him? Share with us in the comments!

© 2025 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/kieferpix

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links


September 26 - Phoenix, AZ
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts


November 2 - Detroit, MI
Zion Christian Church in Troy


October 6 - Los Angeles, CA
Pasadena Convention Center


November 5 - San Antonio, TX
Norris Centers – The Grand Red Oak Ballroom


October 8 - Sacramento, CA
William Jessup University


November 7 - Tampa, FL
The Palladium at St. Pete College


October 22 - Minneapolis, MN
Crowne Plaza AiRE


November 15 - San Francisco, CA
Fremont Marriott Silicon Valley


October 23 - Philadelphia, PA
Green Valley Country Club


November 16 - Denver, CO
CU South Denver - Formerly Wildlife Experience


November 2 - Chicago, IL
Chicago Westin Northwest in Itasca


November 21 - Cleveland, OH
Holiday Inn Rockside in Independence



Salem Radio Network Speakers

Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

Sponsored by:

When You Need a Faithful Father - Encouragement for Today - April 22, 2025

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Proverbs 31 Ministries banner

Lynn CowellApril 22, 2025

When You Need a Faithful Father
LYNN COWELL

Lee en español

“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:7 (NLT)

What comes to your mind when I say the word “father”?

At one time, I would have responded with two words: “provider” and “distant.” That’s how I’d describe my dad. He was a consistent father, working hard to provide for me and my seven siblings. But working so much left him unable to be an attentive dad like I needed and maybe he wanted.

As I grew up, this concept of fatherhood transferred to how I pictured my heavenly Father. While I chose to trust Jesus as my Savior, I didn’t know God as the loving, flawless Father He is. Thankfully, scriptures like today's key verse helped me understand Him:

“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 36:7).

The deepest love began filling the emptiness of my heart. I could see God had all the time in the world, and He had time for me. He wasn’t bothered by me, and I didn’t have to be at my best when I came to Him!

Jesus tells us that when we see Him, we also see the Father (John 14:9). In Mark 10, Jesus surrounded Himself with little children, tenderly modeling His Father’s kind, nurturing, vulnerable and present love. Sometimes children can be messy or germy with runny noses — but if these children were, Jesus wasn’t bothered. “And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them” (Mark 10:16, NIV).

Psalm 139:5 similarly says, “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head” (NLT). This is the tender, compassionate and attentive love I wanted to know more deeply. Seeking out scriptures that showed this fatherly heart of God created a desire to be near Him. As I drew close, God’s fatherly love began healing my heart wounds.

Understanding the whole heart of God began filling the hole in my heart. When I saw Him not as a magnifying glass constantly looking for my wrongs but as Love Himself, it set my heart free. I saw my Abba Father (Mark 14:36) as trustworthy for my today and my future.

As you learn more about Father God and draw near to Him, you’ll find He is more kind and loving than you ever imagined. Soaking in His Scriptures can correct any misconceptions you and I may have of what a father is.

Does this mean He gives us everything we want? Not exactly. A good Father only gives what He knows is best for His child (James 1:17). He does give us unconditional love — both when we get things right and even when we sin. This is the fatherly heart of God, whose love is flowing continually toward you and me, perfect and unrestricted.

Heavenly Father, thank You for drawing me to Yourself, pulling me close to a place where my wounded heart is safe and can receive Your care and healing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Do you have a young woman in your life who needs to experience the tender, healing love of Father God? You can help her by gifting her Michelle Nietert and Lynn Cowell’s new book, releasing today: Strong and Secure: 100 Devotions for Young Women. Get your copy here!

ENGAGE

Many of us are navigating life’s ups and downs, and it can be easy to believe that God’s love depends on how well we’re doing or whether we’ve got it all together. But the truth is: God’s love for you is never based on your performance or circumstances. That’s why Lynn put together a new, free resource for you … Never Too Far: 5 Days of Trusting God’s Love for You, No Matter What. Through these devotions, you’ll learn how to trust in His love more fully and realize that you are never too far for His grace to reach you. It’s also a great resource for the young women in your life. Click here to download today!

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Romans 8:15-17, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him” (CSB).

What word comes to your mind when you think of the word “father”? How closely does your idea of a “father” reflect the true heart of Father God and His love for you?

What work might you and your Father do together in your heart so you have a correct image of Him? Share with us in the comments!

© 2025 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/kieferpix

Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org

 

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links

On Air & Up Next

See the Full Program Guide