My father once admitted to me, “When you were growing up, I was gone a lot.”

I don’t remember that. Besides working his full-time job, he was gone some evenings to direct choir practice at church, and he occasionally traveled for a week or two with a men’s quartet. But for all the significant (and many small) moments of my life—he was there.

For instance, when I was eight, I had a tiny part in an afternoon play at school. All the mothers came, but only one dad—mine. In many little ways, he has always let my sisters and me know that we are important to him and that he loves us. And seeing him tenderly caring for my mom in the last few years of her life taught me exactly what unselfish love looks like. Dad isn’t perfect, but he’s always been a dad who gives me a good glimpse of my heavenly Father. And ideally, that’s what a Christian dad should do.

At times earthly fathers disappoint or hurt their children. But our Father in heaven is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Ps. 103:8). When a dad who loves the Lord corrects, comforts, instructs, and provides for the needs of his children, he models for them our perfect Father in heaven. —Cindy Hess Kasper

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness that I can always count on. Please help me to live today in a way that leaves behind a legacy of faithfulness and love.

INSIGHT: Proverbs 20:7 challenges parents to model righteousness. In contrast to earthly parents who may disappoint, however, our heavenly Father loves us perfectly. Psalm 103 describes God’s loving character and asks the reader to remember the gracious benefits He gives His people—forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, and compassion (vv. 3-5). These benefits are rooted in God’s character described in verse 8: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” This verse reminds the reader of God’s own description of His character in Exodus 34:6: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Ask God to help you model His faithful love to others. J.R. Hudberg