Father’s Day has always been a good day for me. It’s a day when I can intentionally remember, appreciate, and celebrate my own father. My dad has always been there for me, always encouraged me, and always provided for me. All my life, I’ve known that I can trust him and rely on him. But I know for many of you, this has not been the case. Father’s Day has always been a difficult day for you. It’s impossible for you to remember, appreciate, and celebrate a man who abused you, who abandoned you, who ignored you, who disappointed you. He wasn’t there for you, and he didn’t protect you as he should have. He was a man who could not be trusted or relied on.

If you’ve dealt with this kind of experience in your life, it may seem strange to you when God is described as a Father in Scripture (Isaiah 63:16, Jeremiah 3:4, 2 Corinthians 6:18). It may even cause you to question God’s character. Will God abandon me? What if God doesn’t come through? Can God really be trusted? It’s understandable that we may have the feelings, thoughts, and questions when our only reference of a “father” is our sinful, earthly ones. What does the Bible mean when it calls God our Father? It means He does six key things.