A Father’s Love and God’s Love: Trusting in His Plan
✨ Quick Takeaways – A Father’s Love and God’s Love
✅ A Father’s Love Reflects God’s Love – Bill’s deep love for his son Jack mirrors God’s unwavering love for us
✅ Trusting God Through Fear – Like Bill, we are called to trust God with what we cannot control, especially in times of fear or uncertainty
✅ Faith and Peace in God’s Plan – Bill’s trust in God’s plan for Jack
Introduction: A Conversation That Changed My Perspective
It was just another morning at a church Bible study. The usual hum of conversation filled the room, and the comforting scent of coffee warmed the air as I took my seat among the faithful. These are the mornings I cherish most—the moments where we gather to dive deep into God’s Word, support one another through life’s highs and lows, and ask the tough questions that bring us closer to God. But that morning, something shifted. Something that would stay with me far longer than I had expected.
The conversation that I would remember for months wasn’t about the usual subjects we often discuss. It wasn’t about how we could improve our church ministries, or how we could support one another in prayer. It was something far more personal—a conversation with Elder Bill. He’s one of those quietly wise men in our congregation. A man whose faith runs deep and whose wisdom is steady as a rock. When he speaks, you listen. Not because he shouts it, but because he lives it.
On this particular morning, however, there was a heaviness in his voice. A vulnerability that was rare for him. As we chatted, the conversation turned to his son, Jack.
Jack is a man you would admire. Strong, determined, disciplined. He grew up in a small town, Lake Delton in Wisconsin, served in the military, and now works as a commercial airline pilot. Bill has always been so proud of him. Every time Jack and his family visit the church, you can see the joy and pride in Bill’s eyes. But behind that pride is a father’s deep, hidden fear.
You see, every time Jack flies, Bill’s heart carries a small, silent worry. A worry that comes with being a parent. That fear of losing your child or not being able to protect them when they are so far away. Bill can’t be in that cockpit with Jack. He can’t ensure that everything will be alright. All he can do is pray. And trust.
And then, Bill shared something that hit me to my core: “I trust God with Jack, just like He trusted His own Son with the cross.”
The Fear of Letting Go
The love we have as fathers is deep, but as I listened to Bill’s words, I couldn’t help but think of my own relationship with my children. If you’ve ever loved someone deeply, you know what it feels like to wrestle with fear. That fear of letting go. Of knowing that you can’t control everything in their lives, that there are forces outside of your power, and that you can’t always be there to protect them.
I thought about Bill, watching his son Jack fly across the skies, trusting that God would take care of him. And it made me think: how much greater is God’s love for us? How much more deeply does He love us, especially when we face moments of fear and uncertainty?
Bill’s struggle with trusting God and letting go of Jack is one that resonates with all of us. As a father, we want to protect our children, shelter them from harm, and keep them safe from the dangers of the world. But we can’t. We can’t be everywhere at once. We can’t control every moment. And the sooner we realize that, the more we come to understand what true faith really means.
I think about Philippians 4:6-7, where God promises us peace in the midst of our anxiety and worry: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
It’s not a promise that we won’t face challenges or heartbreak. It’s not a promise that we’ll always know what’s coming next. But it is a promise that, even in our fear, we are never alone. God’s peace guards us when we surrender our worries to Him.
God Understands a Father’s Pain
As Bill spoke, I was reminded of the profound truth that God understands exactly what it feels like to love someone so deeply, yet have to let them go. More than that, God allowed His Son to suffer for a purpose. He didn’t spare Jesus from the pain of the cross because He knew the greater good that would come from it.
In a way, the depth of God’s love is something beyond our human comprehension. Bill loves his son deeply, yet his love for Jack is just a small glimpse of God’s eternal love for us. And the beautiful, gut-wrenching reality is this: God didn’t spare Jesus from the cross because His love for us—His love for all of humanity—was greater than His desire to shield His Son from suffering.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Think about what that means. God, the Creator of the universe, watched His beloved Son suffer at the hands of those He came to save. He saw Jesus be betrayed, mocked, beaten, and nailed to a cross. And as a father, He could have stopped it. He had the power to intervene at any moment. But He didn’t. Why? Because His love for us was so great. His plan was bigger than any moment of pain, and He knew that through the cross, salvation would come to all.
I think about how, as a father, I would do anything to protect my children. How, if they were in danger, I would do whatever it took to save them. But God allowed His Son to endure the greatest suffering because of His great love for us. That’s a love so deep and boundless that it’s beyond our comprehension.
Isaiah 53:10 says, “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.” God knew the pain His Son would endure, but He also knew that through it, He would redeem the world.
God’s Love is Bigger Than We Imagine
When we talk about the love of a father, it’s hard to escape the reality that human love—our love—is flawed. Even as much as we love our children, our love is limited. We can’t always be there for them at every moment. We can’t always shield them from pain or suffering. Our love is finite.
But God’s love? That’s infinite. It’s all-encompassing. It’s unconditional.
I think about how, every time Jack takes off on another flight, Bill is reminded of how little control he has. He can’t protect his son from every storm or turbulence. He has to trust God with what he can’t control. And that’s the heart of faith.
God’s love is not just for those who are “good” or who have it all together. God’s love is for everyone. The rich, the poor, the broken, the lost, the hurting. It stretches to the farthest reaches of the earth and beyond. It knows no boundaries.
Romans 5:8 reminds us, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were still far from God, while we were still broken, Jesus died for us. Not because we earned it, but because God’s love is bigger than we can imagine.
Faith When Life Doesn’t Make Sense
Faith is about trusting God when life doesn’t make sense. When we can’t see the bigger picture. When we don’t understand why something is happening, we know that God has a plan.
Proverbs 3:5 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
When life feels uncertain, when we face challenges that seem insurmountable, we can choose to lean into God’s love and trust in His plan. We may not understand why things are happening the way they are, but we can trust that God is at work in our lives, even when we don’t see it.
The disciples must have felt lost when Jesus was arrested. They had followed Him, given up everything to be with Him, and yet, they watched Him be taken away. The crucifixion seemed like the end of everything they had hoped for. But it wasn’t. It was just the beginning of God’s greatest work.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” Even in the darkest moments, God is working things out for our good. He is weaving His perfect plan into the tapestry of our lives.
The Love That Holds Us Together
At the end of the morning, Bill smiled and said, “Jack’s a great pilot. He knows what he’s doing. But at the end of the day, my trust isn’t only in Jack— but it’s in God.”
And that’s the heart of it all. As fathers, we do our best. We love our children with all our hearts. We want to protect them. But ultimately, our trust has to be in God. He is the one who holds us together. He is the one who is in control, even when we can’t see it.
Numbers 6:24-26 speaks of God’s blessing and peace over us: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
God’s love is enough. His grace is enough. He is the one who holds us, even in the moments when we have to let go.
Conclusion: Trusting God with What We Can’t Control
Whenever Bill gets calls from Jack to take off for yet another flight, he doesn’t know what the future holds. But he trusts that God is in control. He trusts that God is bigger than his worries, bigger than his fears, and that God’s love will never fail.
For all of us—whether we’re facing a difficult situation, struggling with fear, or letting go of someone we love—we can take comfort in this: God’s love is greater than our love. His plan is bigger than our understanding.
Instead of holding on with anxious hands, let’s surrender with faith-filled hearts. Instead of fearing the unknown, let’s trust the One who knows it all. And instead of worrying about what might happen, let’s rest in the love of a Father who gave everything to bring us home.
God’s love is enough. Always.
May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. – Jude 1:2 (ESV)