There’s a fierce pursuit and gritty determination that burns in the spirits of God’s men.
There’s a mounting hunger for the type of work that’s dangerous to the enemy.
There’s a source of delight far superior to the fleeting comforts of ease and passivity.
There’s a steady strength unlocked by the exchange of self-reliance for God-dependence.
There’s a vigilant loyalty to honor the lowly and protect the vulnerable.
And there’s an identity-forged confidence that’s unafraid to display tenderness, understanding that the Lion was also the Lamb.
The spirit in a man of God is to be prized and honored.
So, this Father’s Day, we rise up and we bless you, men. We bless you for the virtues this world disparages as cheap. We bless you for patterning your life after your older brother Jesus, while you lead others to do the same (Hebrews 2:11). A company of brothers has gone before - a company of the redeemed. May their legacy infuse your steps with strength as you pass down the heritage of biblical manhood to future generations.
May you comprehend as tangibly as Adam, that you were made in God’s image. (Genesis 1:26)
May you lead as a man who walks with God like Enoch. (Genesis 5:24)
May you be found righteous like Noah, though the whole world rejects God. (Genesis 6:5-9)
May you, like Job, choose to bless the Lord in the middle of your affliction. (Job 1:21-22)
May you, like Abraham, let nothing cause you to waver concerning God’s promise. (Romans 4:20-21)
May your life, as Isaac’s, stand as living proof that God fulfills His word. (Genesis 21:1-2)
May you walk in the sovereign & undeserved blessing of God, like Jacob. (Genesis 35:9-12)
May you, with Joseph, witness God take what the enemy intended for evil and use it for good. (Genesis 50:20)
In the way of Moses, may your acts of obedience result in miraculous deliverance. (Exodus 3:10)
With the zeal of Joshua, may your knowledge of God’s presence vanquish fear and fortify you for battle. (Joshua 1:9)
May you join Caleb in history as a man with a different spirit, who followed the Lord fully. (Numbers 14:24)
May you walk in purpose with the valor God supplies, just as He bestowed to Gideon. (Judges 6:12)
May you determine with Samson that your strength comes from the Lord. (Judges 16:28-30)
May God use you, as He did Boaz, to epitomize His nature to protect, provide, and redeem. (Ruth 2:8-9, 3:9)
May you say often, with Samuel: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)
May you, like David, chase the heart of God in the seasons of your exaltation, desperation, repentance, and redemption. (Psalm 63:1)
May you, conclude with Solomon, that God alone can satisfy. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
May you share, with Elijah, a singular and consuming desire for the glory of God. (1 Kings 18:36-37)
May you, like Elisha, yearn for a double portion of the spiritual zeal of your fathers in the faith. (2 Kings 2:9)
May you share Hosea’s profound certainty of God’s faithfulness to an unfaithful people. (Hosea 2:23)
Like Isaiah, may you spend your life stirring up the hope of God in the hearts of weary people. (Isaiah 40:31)
May you carry on Hezekiah’s legacy to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. (2 Kings 18:5)
May you stand with Josiah to read the words of God to the people He has entrusted to you. (2 Kings 23:1-3)
May God fortify you as an iron wall amidst opposition, just like Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 1:18)
May the sum of your life experience match the testimony of Daniel: God doesn’t abandon His own. (Daniel 6:21-22)
May you see yourself in Mordecai, whose influence God used to preserve His people. (Esther 4:12-14)
May you, shoulder to shoulder with Nehemiah, build your portion of the kingdom of God. (Nehemiah 2:17-18)
Like Joseph of Nazareth, may you trust God to do the unimaginable. (Matthew 1:20-25)
May you share in the joy of John the Baptist as your decrease becomes Jesus’ increase. (John 3:28-30)
May you live in the uncommon humility and honesty of an unnamed father who confessed, “I believe; help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)
May your allegiance to Christ echo down through future generations with the words of Peter: “Where else would we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68-69)
May your most treasured identity mirror John’s as a disciple whom Jesus loves. (John 13:23)
Like Stephen, may you live your life full of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 7:55)
May you proclaim from the mountaintops with Paul that God can use anyone. (1 Timothy 1:12-17)
May you, with Timothy, be known for your genuine faith. (2 Timothy 1:5)
And may you, with Jude, become a living doxology, ever pointing to “the One who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever.” (Jude 24-25)
Amen.