What Is Man…

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,…”

(Psalm 8:4-6)

A God-fearing father, successful in banking and investing, tried his best to raise his son to be thoughtful, conscientious and caring of other people. He, a single father, raised his son in the church. He taught the boy to save, to think, and to be helpful of others. It seemed no matter what he would do for his child, however, the boy would rebel. 

When the child became a young man, he wanted his father’s support in a decision that dad just couldn’t get behind. The son had met a young woman who was into witchcraft and was bent on using the boy’s savings to selfish and personally enriching ends, to the detriment of others. The protests of his father drove him to total rebellion. The boy would turn his back on his father and his teachings in favor of the lure of his girl.

Dad’s heart was broken. He was no longer welcome in his son’s home. He watched from a distance as his son had a child of his own, unable to visit or be part of his grandson’s life. He mourned the upbringing of that child. He lamented the wayward and worldly influence of his daughter-in-law. Yet through it all he continued to pray and spent the next several years watching from a distance, and influencing where God would enable him to. 

The boy had money and investments in the father’s bank. Whenever he saw an opportunity to prevent the child from losing it all, he would secretly pad the child and his family, keeping them afloat just enough to feel the consequences of their decisions while always providing a way out for them. The child was not aware of this, of course, though the signs of the father’s involvement were clearly visible to scrutiny if any scrutiny would have been made.

He watched his grandson grow from a distance, sitting at the back of the auditorium during concerts and school plays. And when opportunities presented themselves for steering, the father would steer the young family where he could, placing opportunities for growth, sometimes painful, in their path. 

What was the source of such devotion by this loving father? Why keep trying with a family that denied him?

My wife and I just spent a week in Nashville with friends. The area that housed our Air BnB was somewhat less than upscale. At one point we were in our car and watched a man screaming at a woman down the sidewalk, making a “gun” sign with his fingers pretending to shoot her. She was clearly scared and flagged down a police officer as the man ran away. 

This is but a small example of how man often treats his fellows. We have a Heavenly Father who created us, lovingly molding us in His own image, only to watch us rebel, turning away from His righteousness to our own idea of righteousness. He watched as we quickly broke His heart and turned to revel in the world that we had created in our own corruption of His perfect creation. 

He watches patiently as we turn on one another, fight one another, torture one another, and destroy one another. And in so doing, we tear our own selves apart piece by piece. And who do we blame? HIM. 

Yet he continues to steer us and influence us, putting opportunities for growth and correction in our path. Though many of us try to deny Him and His involvement in our lives, His efforts are clearly visible to the discerning eye.

And He makes a way for us to come back to Him, if only we will take it. He doesn’t force, He doesn’t coerce. He offers. He pleads wirh us for our own sakes. He LOVES. And He sacrifices that we can be saved from ourselves. This is ultimately realized in the sacrifice of Jesus and His selfless love for us. 

What will you do? What should that selfish boy and his family do? Who are we that God even considers us? We are nothing! Yet rather that wipe the slate clean, He chose to love us back to Him! Everything we touch without Him dies. But everything involving Him lives evermore! Will you choose life?