“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The might God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)”.
One Sabbath Tony offered the prayer at our worship service. Before he prayed, he said, “I had the greatest father in the world. We called him Papa. Before he died he told me, ‘Tony, you’ll never know real love until you have children of your own.’ ” Then Tony prayed. His heartfelt prayer mightily stirred and left me in tears. To understand why, you must understand what Tony and his wife have been through during the past few years. They had three children, two sons and a daughter. One of their sons died several years ago. Two years later their other son, a physician, perished instantly when a moose jumped in front of his car in Yellowstone National Park. When Tony prayed, he addressed God as Papa. Heaven came very near. You could almost hear the flutter of angel wings and sense the arm of Jesus, the everlasting Father, as Papa!
After the prayer Lillian expressed how we both felt, “I’ve had my blessing. If we had to, we could go home now.”
As our everlasting Father, Jesus has a love for us that endures – it is everlasting. He provides for us as a father should. I had the same kind of father as Tony. Lillian didn’t. For her and all those who lacked a warm, loving father, the other names of the predicted Messiah provide comfort and refuge. Our wonderful counselor. King Jesus assures us He is watching over the entire universe and can guide and direct our lives. As our mighty God, Jesus reminds us that He came to our world to live among us and die defending us. Fulfilling the title Prince of Peace, He brings peace and a sense of well-being to each of us right now in this life. And someday soon, He will restore peace to our world and to the entire universe. The devil will be a defeated foe. The ruin that threatens our tranquillity and dogs our world will soon be over, for the Prince of Peace is coming soon to reign!
What could be greater news than having a papa like that?
H.M.S. Richards Jr.; Daniel R. Guild,
