OUR HEAVENLY FATHER by George C. Tenney

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 3, 1900

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 26, No. 40.

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

By George C. Tenney

No other privilege granted to mortals equals the privilege of calling God "our Father." Sometimes the privilege of calling some elderly persons father and mother is greatly esteemed by a homeless child, even tho nothing more is involved than the mere use of the dear names. But it is not simply that we may call Him our Father; He is our Father. God is a Father even to those who know Him not. He is such a Father as no earthly parent can be. But while God is more to His children than earthly parents can be to theirs, He is a model to parents. It is fitting that we should in this respect, as well as others, study the divine Pattern, and imitate it in our capacity as parents. What God is to His children, all earthly parents should seek to be to theirs.

The Fatherhood of God is beautifully illustrated in Psalm 139. The first four verses say: "O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether." From this text we learn how closely our heavenly Father scrutinizes our lives. He searches us and knows us thoroughly, far better than we know ourselves. He observes even when we sit or stand; He accompanies us on the street or about our work; He attends us when we sleep; we can go nowhere but God's watchful eye is upon us. He knows the thoughts—every thought that passes through our minds, and not a word we utter escapes His notice. This is true, not only of me, but of you, and of every living soul, old or young, of the 1,500,000,000 people living on the earth. No wonder the psalmist should exclaim, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I can not attain unto it."

But here is a great example set before all parents. Too often fathers and mothers are almost wholly unacquainted with their children. They know them by name, and could pick them out of a crowd, perhaps. But as for searching their lives and hearts to discover their thoughts and purposes, they have never thought of doing so. The children are allowed to go where they please and come when they choose, only so they do not make themselves too troublesome. Most fathers would prefer an hour's snooze, and most mothers would choose an hour's gossip over the garden fence, or an hour with a book, to an hour spent in getting on intimate terms with the son or daughter.

Under these circumstances children are left to look up their associates elsewhere, and it is not often that Satan allows the opportunity to put one of his agents into the place, to slip by unimproved. It is a calamity to father, mother, and child when the first place in a child's heart is usurped by some one other than father and mother.

Some mothers with a large family excuse themselves from giving personal care to each child because there are so many of them. Let such think of God, with His fifteen hundred millions of children on this little world; and how many more worlds' full He has we know not. Parents have no right to bring into the world children for whom they can not care. Such children are bred for Satan, and we can not afford that. In a numerous family the mother should be provided with helps, so that she will not need to spend her whole time at drudgery. She should have time to teach and study the children, each one separately. In the end it will yield great returns for good if father and mother will faithfully perform their duties toward their children after the example of our heavenly Father.

G. C. TENNEY. Rockhampton, Queensland.