When I was five years old, my dad took me to the Texas State Fair. I got my first taste of cotton candy and rode on lots of “kiddie rides.” He bought me a souvenir — a sparkly baton that I never got the hang of twirling till I was much older. I had my daddy all to myself that whole day. As a reminder of our day together, he had this picture taken. That was seventy-five years ago. Some of us may have had positive relationships with our earthly dads, leaving us with lots of pleasant memories; but even those really good dads sometimes fell short of what we wanted and needed. They were human. They were not perfect. Others may have had terrible experiences with their dads, or maybe no dad at all.
This year when Father’s Day rolled around, my first waking thought was, “It’s Father’s Day,” followed quickly with another thought. “Well, that means nothing to me anymore.” My dad passed away twenty-five years ago, and my husband ten years ago. I had no dad to celebrate. Then came that still, small voice: “But you do have a Father, and He is very much alive!” Immediately the song “Good Good Father” started running through my head.
The song begins by saying we hear many stories of what people think God is like. While there may be many opinions on what God’s true nature really is, the Bible says we can know what He’s like by observing what Jesus was like. Hebrews 1:3 tells us Jesus is “the express image of His person,” and Jesus Himself told His disciples, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father (John 14:9).
The second verse portrays people searching for answers and points out that only God can give us the real answers. Fortunately, as children of God, we can know whatever we need to know. Our heavenly Father knows exactly what we need even before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8). Whether it is the answer to a question, a solution to a problem, or some physical need, Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). James 1:5 promises that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God and He will give it to us. He won’t even be annoyed that we asked!
The final verse in the song expounds on the love of God that surpasses all knowledge (Ephesians 3:16-19) and Hisunexplainable peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). Then it describes God calling us deeper and deeper into His love. So, He has revealed to us His very nature, and He knows what we need before we do. To say He is a good,good Father is an understatement. I find it overwhelming to realize He wants us to deepen our relationship with Him, to draw closer and closer and get to know him better.
Regardless of whatever experience we had with our earthly fathers, they made mistakes. Our heavenly Father, however? His way is perfect (Psalm 18:30). We fall short many times in our relationships with Him, but He never does. He’s never too busy, or out of town, or in a cranky mood. He is always available and always pleased with us.
I have loved this “Good Good Father” song for years, but until this last Father’s Day I didn’t realize how much scripture is tied up in those lyrics. What a beautiful reminder of the Father who has promised He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Next year when Father’s Day rolls around, I plan to sit straight up in bed and say, “Good morning, Lord. Happy Father’s Day! Thank You for being such a good, good Father.”
