Life Walk Lesson 9: God is a Father
God is The Servant of the Lord’s Father
Isaiah 40:12-31
Isaiah 41:1-20
Note: All these trees are low-water tolerant (great endurance); need good drainage, and are valued for their wood, fragrance, and fruit. The olive can grow in both ocean and desert zones.
Like Trees in God’s Garden
Genesis 1:9-12 [AMPC]
9 “And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be collected into one place [of standing], and let the dry land appear. And it was so.
10 God called the dry land Earth, and the accumulated waters He called Seas. And God saw that this was good (fitting, admirable) and He approved it.
11 And God said, Let the earth put forth [tender] vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees yielding fruit whose seed is in itself, each according to its kind, upon the earth. And it was so.
12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed according to their own kinds and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it.”
Genesis 2:8-9
8 “And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden [delight]; and there He put the man whom He had formed (framed, constituted).
9 And out of the ground the Lord made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight or to be desired -- good (suitable, pleasant) for food; the tree of life also in the center of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of [the difference between] good and evil and blessing and calamity.”
Psalm 1:1-3
1 “Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.
2 But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.
3 And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].”
Psalm 92:12-15
12 “The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible].
13 Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].
15 [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”
Proverbs 12:3
3 A man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall never be moved.”
Proverbs 12:12
12 “The wicked desire the booty of evil men, but the root of the [uncompromisingly] righteous yields [richer fruitage].”
Ezekiel 47:6-12
6 “And he said to me, Son of man, have you seen this? Then he led me and caused me to return to the bank of the river.
7 Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8 Then he said to me, These waters pour out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah (the Jordan Valley) and on into the Dead Sea. And when they shall enter into the sea [the sea of putrid waters], the waters shall be healed and made fresh.
9 And wherever the double river shall go, every living creature which swarms shall live. And there shall be a very great number of fish, because these waters go there that [the waters of the sea] may be healed and made fresh; and everything shall live wherever the river goes.
10 The fishermen shall stand on [the banks of the Dead Sea]; from En-gedi even to En-eglaim shall be a place to spread nets; their fish shall be of very many kinds, as the fish of the Great or Mediterranean Sea.
11 But its swamps and marshes will not become wholesome for animal life; they shall [as the river subsides] be left encrusted with salt and given over to it.
12 And on the banks of the river on both its sides, there shall grow all kinds of trees for food; their leaf shall not fade nor shall their fruit fail [to meet the demand]. Each tree shall bring forth new fruit every month, [these supernatural qualities being] because their waters came from out of the sanctuary. And their fruit shall be for food and their leaves for healing.”
Revelation 22:1-2
1 “Then he showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 Through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations.”
The Tree of Life — Wisdom
Proverbs 3:1-35
Proverbs 8:10-35
God is our Sovereign Father
John 14:8-9
8 Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’”
9 Jesus said to Him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’”
1 John 1:1-4
1 “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life —
2 the Life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that Eternal Life which was with the Father and was manifested to us —
3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”
Hebrews 1:1-4
1 “God, Who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, Whom He has appointed Heir of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”
Hebrews 11:3
“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
God is an All-Knowing and Loving Father
Isaiah 41:25-27
25 “I have raised up and impelled to action one from the north [Cyrus], and he comes; from the rising of the sun he calls upon My name [recognizing that his victories have been granted to him by Me]. And he shall tread upon rulers and deputies as upon mortar and as the potter treads clay. [He comes with the suddenness of a comet, but none of the idol oracles of the nations has anticipated it.]
26 [What idol] has declared this from the beginning, that we could know? And beforetime, that we could say that he is [unquestionably] right? Yes, there is none who declares it, yes, there is none who proclaims it; yes, [for the truth is, O you dumb idols] there is none who hears you speak!
27 I [the Lord] first gave to Zion the announcement, Behold, [the Jews will be restored to their own land, and the man Cyrus shall be raised up who will deliver them] behold them! And to Jerusalem I gave a herald [Isaiah] bringing the good news.”
Isaiah 42:6-9
6 “I the Lord have called You [the Messiah] for a righteous purpose and in righteousness; I will take You by the hand and will keep You; I will give You for a covenant to the people [Israel], for a light to the nations [Gentiles],
7 To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness from the prison.
8 I am the Lord; that is My name! And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to graven images.
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
John 17:22-23
22 “I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one:
23 I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me.”
1Corinthians 1:4-9
4 “I thank my God at all times for you because of the grace (the favor and spiritual blessing) of God which was bestowed on you in Christ Jesus,
5 [So] that in Him in every respect you were enriched, in full power and readiness of speech [to speak of your faith] and complete knowledge and illumination [to give you full insight into its meaning].
6 In this way [our] witnessing concerning Christ (the Messiah) was so confirmed and established and made sure in you
7 That you are not [consciously] falling behind or lacking in any special spiritual endowment or Christian grace [the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating in your souls by the Holy Spirit], while you wait and watch [constantly living in hope] for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and [His] being made visible to all.
8 And He will establish you to the end [keep you steadfast, give you strength, and guarantee your vindication; He will be your warrant against all accusation or indictment so that you will be] guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
9 God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Isaiah 48:12-17
12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, My called [ones]: I am He; I am the First, I also am the Last.
13 Yes, My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has spread out the heavens; when I call to them, they stand forth together [to execute My decrees].
14 Assemble yourselves, all of you, and hear! Who among them [the gods and Chaldean astrologers] has foretold these things? The Lord has loved him [Cyrus of Persia]; he will do His pleasure and purpose on Babylon, and his arm will be against the Chaldeans.
15 I, even I, have foretold it; yes, I have called him [Cyrus]; I have brought him, and [the Lord] shall make his way prosperous.
16 Come near to me and listen to this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it happened, I was there. And now the Lord God has sent His Spirit in and with me.
17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way that you should go.”
God’s Seed is God’s Gift of His Love for Us
Many Christians still suffer from needless condemnation and guilt because they succumb to the lies of the enemy of their souls, rather than hearing, believing, retaining and reproducing the Word of Truth which God has already implanted in their heart when they first believed God, and began to walk with Jesus.
We’ve all been in that line hoping we are still saved after messing up in some way in our walk with God. It’s usually relational — with God or with one another, isn’t it? We are human, and it takes God’s help to be one, so we need to be patient with ourselves, just as God is patient with us.
Paul's letter to the Romans declares plainly that, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [Romans 8:1]
Because Jesus bought us, and paid for us in full, with His Own Blood, we have been set free from the penalty of our sins against Him, to be forgiven, delivered, healed and made whole, spirit, soul and body, and to be welcomed into the throne room of God, as it was originally intended when God created Adam and Eve, in order to have an intimate relationship with God Himself.
1 John 3:9 NKJV
“Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” [See also: John 1:12-14]
Let’s understand that when God says something, it is creative by the very nature of the fact that He is the Creator. Just like God created a tree to bear its own kind of fruit and no other, He created us in His Image and Likeness, to be like Him, and no other.
In Isaiah 55:6-13, the Prophet encourages the people, and then God promises them, through the Prophet Isaiah, to go far beyond all we could think or imagine on our own, to bless us.
Isaiah 55:6-7 NIV
6 “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.”
Now, here is what God says:
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways’ declares the Lord. 9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Now, let’s see in what way God’s thoughts are higher than ours:
Isaiah 55:10-11
10 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is My word that goes out of My mouth: it will not return to me empty [NIV Note: void, or without fruit] but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
And now, let’s see what God sent His word to accomplish, with the same certainty and assurance as the fullness of a harvest on His seed, that comes with the rain and snow (in all seasons):
Isaiah 55: 12-13
12 “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.’”
King David caught a glimpse of this and recorded his thoughts in Psalm 1:3
“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.”
This is in stark contrast to the curse pronounced upon the earth where sinners refused God’s provision in ancient times, where briers and thistles grew instead of what they planted, because they did not acknowledge God as Provider.
Instead, for the righteous, God provides evergreen trees, giving permanent shade and shelter as a blessing. Scientifically, the positive ions generated by evergreen trees, known to contribute to the joy that we feel when we are around them, bear witness to this blessing. Scripture declares we are to be a shelter to one another. [Psalm 91:1, Psalm 27:5, Psalm 112:9, Isaiah 16:4, Isaiah 25:4, Isaiah 32:2]
The Apostle Paul also saw this concept, and taught us this same principle in his letter to the Corinthian Church:
2 Corinthians 9:8-9
8 “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work 9 As it is written, ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.’” [Psalm 112:9]
Psalm 112:9
“They have merely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn [NIV. note: “dignity”] will be lifted high in honor.”
Considering our thoughts then…
Our struggle, as Paul describes his own, to do right, needs to be reframed in this new structure which John gives us, and seen in the light of Genesis 1:2-3, so that we no longer focus on the waves we are trying to walk on, with Jesus — our chaotic circumstances — but on God’s Light, Who dwells in us, and leads the way to righteous living, wise choices, good, productive, eternal, and evergreen outcomes.
The Greek word, here in 1 John 3, for “seed” is “sperma” — which cannot help but produce good and Godly fruit because it is from God.
As long as we remain in Christ, God’s “seed” produces love, joy, peace, longsuffering, (including patient perseverance and endurance), kindness, goodness, (generosity, philanthropy), faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. [John 15; Galatians 5:22-23, Acts 10:38]
Have you ever looked up the synonyms, or the opposites of these words? It’s rather eye-opening!
When Moses asked to see God's glory, in Exodus 33:18-19, God made all His Goodness to pass by him, so that Moses could see God's character. In other words — an intimate relationship with God bears good results, produces good outcomes, just like a relationship with sinfulness from the evil one, has bad results.
For “gentleness and self-control” the Greek translation gives “meekness and temperance” — and it is the meek who shall inherit the whole earth [Psalm 37 and Matthew 5] because it takes a gentle spirit, like the Holy spirit, to govern earth as God desires, and one that has the gift of self-discipline, or self-mastery.
The Greek word for “remains” in 1 John 3:9 is used to describe a place, for example, “abiding in an abode”, as is described of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
Matthew 10:11 is used as the example, by Blue Letter Bible, of how this word describes the choice to “abide” — yet, by the Grace of God, we are chosen before the foundation of the world, by God, as an habitation of God, because we believe in God, as He knew we would, because it is written in the Book of our lives.
[See also: John 15, for abiding in Christ, and Ephesians 1 for how God predestined to succeed in Christ]
We Know a Tree by its Fruit
Just as bad seed produces bad fruit, so also we see now that God’s seed produces good fruit, good results and outcomes, and we have been “grafted in” to the anointed One and His anointing — the “Olive Tree” — as Paul taught us in Romans 11.
Galatians 5:19-21[AMPC]
19 “Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),
21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Matthew 3:8-10
8 “Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart];
9 and do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our forefather; for I tell you, God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!
10 And already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Matthew 7:17-19
17 “Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit.
18 A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration].
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.”
Matthew 12:33
33 “Either make the tree sound (healthy and good), and its fruit sound (healthy and good), or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad), and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad); for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit.”
Matthew 13:23
23 “As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty.”
When God is hungry, He expects to find a harvest from what He planted. [Matthew 13:3-8 Parable of the Sower], and He will destroy everything that He did not plant.
Matthew 21:19
19 “And as He saw one single leafy fig tree above the roadside, He went to it but He found nothing but leaves on it [seeing that in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. And He said to it, Never again shall fruit grow on you! And the fig tree withered up at once.”
Matthew 21:34
34 When the fruit season drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his [share of the] fruit. [Read the rest of the parable in context: Matthew 21:33-46]
Matthew 15:13
“He answered, Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be torn up by the roots.”
To be a son of the Father, is to live in Christ as a believer in Him, baptized into the name of God, according to Scripture. So, at times, when Jesus spoke to the Pharisees who had refused to believe in him, as being of their father the devil, it was because of their unbelief, and stubborn refusal to believe God.
As believers in Jesus Christ we have be transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness rule by the devil and his demons, into the Kingdom of Light ruled by God, according to Scripture. Filled with the Holy Spirit of God, we can bear godly fruit, and bring healing and nourishment to our sphere of influence and to those hungry for a relationship with God.
Bearing Fruit that Lasts
Fruit that lasts has “seed in itself”, and even in the natural realm we have been given every seed bearing plant for food, which in turn provides seed to the sower generationally. So, by the name principle, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to the knowledge of Jesus His Son, and become part of the Family Kingdom of God.
Genesis 1:29 [AMPC]
“And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.”
Ezekiel 47:12
“And on the banks of the river on both sides, there shall grow all kinds of trees for food; their leaf shall not fade nor shall their fruit fail [to meet the demand]. Each tree shall bring forth new fruit every month, [these supernatural qualities being] because the waters came from out of the sanctuary. And their fruit shall be for food and their leaves for healing.”
Revelation 22:1-2
1 “Then he showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2 Through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations.”
Matthew 26:29
“I say to you, I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it with you new and of superior quality in My Father’s Kingdom.”
We are the trees in God’s Garden, metaphorically throughout Scripture, and God desires that none perish and that all are saved.
The Word of Life is in our Mouth
It is written, the Word of the Lord is in your mouth, and in the mouth of your children, and your children’s children. [Isaiah 59:21]
King David says, in Psalm 139:4 “For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.”
King David's son, King Solomon spoke of it also, so that he might admonish his son that our words matter, throughout his Book of Proverbs, but especially in chapter 15:4 where he says, “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” And again, in chapter 18:21 he says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it [death, or life] will eat its fruit.”
James, the brother of our Lord Jesus, declares in his letter to the early Church, in chapter 1:26 “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.”
We sow seeds — bad or good — with our words, just as God does, for He is the Sower Who sows the Word. [Mark 4:14]
If you have trouble believing that concept, just start a conversation with more than one person and watch the outcome.
We all see life through our own filters, our own perceptions of the circumstances we are in at any given moment, based usually on previous experience. We literally replenish the earth, both in the natural when we plant a seed from the fruit we have eaten, and when we speak — either negatively or creatively. Both the natural and the spiritual realm are affected by who we are.
Just remember, God’s thoughts on these matters are higher — come up higher, too, and see through God’s eyes, from His perspective, and use good-fruit-bearing words that will last, [Galatians 5:22-23] and bring more good fruit into your sphere of influence, along with lasting peace, wherever possible, just as Paul taught us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” [Romans 12:18]
Encouragement:
Lack of peace often stems from pride, so learn to recognize it in your own heart, and catch yourself if you are not feeling at peace. For an interesting study on pride, you might like to read Job 41:1-34, where God describes one of the creatures He created which displays the epitome of fearless pride, which only God can tame, or change.
Let’s look briefly at Isaiah 6:7 — you know the story of Isaiah’s encounter with God already, I’m sure, and how the angel of the Lord took a coal from the fire:
“And he touched my mouth with it, and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.’”
Jesus speaks of a baptism in water, and of fire — the indwelling Holy Spirit, Who changes the way we believe, speak, and behave, as children of God. [Matthew 3:11]
In Isaiah 45:23, and 55:11, God swears by His own name, with His own mouth, that the word that has gone out of His mouth will accomplish exactly what it has been sent to be and do. Imagine, for a moment, if we had that same kind of faith — to be absolutely certain that whatever we spoke would come to pass, just like when God does so? A little frightening, perhaps?
If you think about it, you have already experienced the fruit of your words. They are truly powerful, so as it has often been said — “Be careful what you wish for” — has a whole new connotation when you realize the power of your words, your thoughts, your actions, or your lifestyle. Sow good seeds, and reap a good harvest. It’s that simple — and that difficult. But be encouraged, for with God, all things are possible.
Prayer: Father, let our words bring nourishment and healing today to those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, according to Ezekiel 47, and may the meditations of our hearts, according to Psalm 19:14, be pleasing to You, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen.
