God's Glory Church

Our God is the Heavenly Father of all creation, and He is the best example of the father we all need, regardless of our age. On Father’s Day, it is especially important to remember that we should strive to be like Him. What does our Heavenly Father like most? He likes our obedience, our open heart, our praise, and our desire to serve Him. There are three important spiritual calls for our lives: to bring, to fulfill, and to lay down.

1. Offer: A thanksgiving offering

“Offer thanksgiving to God and fulfill the vow you made to the Most High. Then you will call on me in the day of trouble, I will deliver you and you will glorify me.” (Psalm 50:14-15)

In this psalm, God addresses his people through the prophet Asaph. The Lord emphasizes that He does not need ordinary material sacrifices, because He created everything around anyway, instead He expects a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Why is thanksgiving called a sacrifice? When we receive a desired gift, it is very natural to say thank you. But when unpleasant things happen in our lives and circumstances are far from ideal, it becomes extremely difficult to thank God. Gratitude that does not require effort is not a true sacrifice.
True sacrifice costs something. This is well illustrated by a children’s story from Sunday school: a thanksgiving sacrifice is when mom burns a chicken in the oven, and dad eats it all and sincerely thanks for an incredibly delicious dinner. In the spiritual sense, to make such a sacrifice is to choose to glorify God when nothing has yet changed for the better. A vivid example is the righteous Job, who lost his property, children and health. When his own wife advised him to curse God and die, Job chose to trust, even though no one could guarantee him quick healing or recovery. When we thank God in the midst of pain, it is the highest manifestation of our faith and trust in Him.

2. Fulfill: Good conscience and vows

“…the vow of a good conscience to God, and now saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:21)

The second call of God is to fulfill the promises given to Him. As humans, we have a tendency to promise and forget, but God expects us to do otherwise. Apostle Peter explains that the essence of baptism is the promise of a good conscience. Conscience cannot be seen physically; it manifests itself exclusively through our actions. A good conscience is when we keep our promises to God, a pastor, a minister, or a neighbor.

It is very easy for us to criticize others, but God did not call us to criticize, but to fulfill his promises. Think about what you recently promised God: maybe you promised to get up earlier to pray, to read the Bible regularly, or to witness to a certain person. God calls not just to promise, but to live according to conscience every day, fulfilling his word.

3. Deposits: Trust in the day of sorrow

“Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will take care of you.” He will never allow the righteous to falter.” (Psalm 55:23)

When we are in trouble, we often behave like a man who is late for an important interview. While looking for a parking space, he fervently promises God to go to church, not to fight with his wife, and to give a tithe. But as soon as the place is vacated, he says: “Oh my God, I’ve already found it myself.” We are ready to make any promises in a crisis, but when the answer comes, we write it off as a lucky coincidence and cancel our promises. It is important to remember: if you prayed about a problem, its solution is not an accident, you should thank God for it.
Is it automatic that we cast our cares on God? No, it is always an effort and a conscious choice to trust Him, especially when circumstances are bad. God says: if you have tried many times to change the situation on your own, overcome sin or solve a problem and nothing has worked, do something else – rely on Me. This is a spiritual process: first we learn to give thanks in difficulties, then we learn to fulfill our vows. Only then does our faith grow so much that we can truly rely on the Lord and see His deliverance.