Understanding God as Father is quite important to me. I had an earthly father who taught me to care for myself and my siblings; who taught me to cook and care for a home. I thought, when I was growing up, that I had the greatest father in the world, but the term "father" took on another meaning to me when my relationship with God became personal.
When one comes to know God as Father, one realizes the true meaning of the word. Our earthly fathers are supposed to love, cherish, guide, and protect us. Sometimes, they fail at doing so. God, however, never fails in showing his love for us. He loves us even when we are not worthy of being loved. He never gives up on us. He guides us, and when we take the wrong path, he doesn't scoff at us for doing so - he gently welcomes us back and continues guiding us as if we'd never veered from his path. God is not selective either. He doesn't look at me and say, "you're better than all the rest, so I will love you more than others." No, God loves us all the same. God is gentle, kind, loving, fun (yes, he has a sense of humor) and he is also a disciplinarian.
Father knows best applies to him for he is all knowing (Omniscient), ever present (Omnipresent), all powerful (Ominipotent). God is our banner, our Jehovah Nissi; he is our provider - Jehovah Jireh; he is our righteousness, Jehovah Tsikednu, he's our protector - El Shaddai. There are so many qualities one can use to describe God, but when I think of him as Father, I realize the true meaning of that word.
I'm thankful for knowing the love of such a wonderful Father.
