The third blessing Jesus heard as the heavens opened and His Father spoke, was the blessing of total approval.
The "You make me happy" blessing.
God spoke it in this way: "This is my beloved Son, with him I am well pleased. God pronounces in that one statement, the words every child wants and needs to hear. "You make me happy".
The Greek for pleased is "eudokēsa" and it means "to be very pleased with or to think well of" God was saying to the world; "This is my Son...and I think He is amazing, I think well of Him and he makes me happy."
Dad's, our kids want desperately to hear that we make them happy. They don't need any performance tied to it. I try to convey this to my daughter by telling her over and over how happy I am just to be her dad...in fact I tend to say I am happy that I get to be her dad. I want her to know it's my privilege and my pleasure. It brings me happiness to wear that title. I am the lucky one. I am pleased. I think very well of her.
Men let me tell you she eats that up. There is no performance or demand attached, it is simply because she is my daughter that I find so much joy in her. It is self contained.
God, our heavenly Father so desperately wants us to grasp this about Him as well. And we need to know it. I need to know that God...at all times regardless of my life situation...is well pleased with me. He adores me. I bring Him joy.
Brennan Manning tells the story of walking on the shoreline of a lake outside of Dublin Ireland many years ago. His companion on the walk was an old priest who walked briskly 8 or 10 miles each morning. They walked in silence in the pre-dawn darkness saying nothing. Suddenly as the sun broke the horizon and splashed on the water and onto the faces of Brennan and his friend, the old priest spoke. "Brennan", the old man said, as the warm sun colored his skin, "The Father of Jesus is very fond of me". With that he resumed his walk.
Do you really understand how fond your Father is of you? Have you considered that we don't have to see in color? God could have made the human eye only see black and white. Roses don't have be fragrant. Rainbows don't have to captivate. The mountains don't have to be painted so magnificently. God gave us all those little "winks" to remind us that He is fond of us. He thinks well of us.
Dad's take the lead from the love of your heavenly father and find ways to let your kids know that they make you happy.
Enjoy this blessing today...the Father of Jesus is very fond of you indeed.
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