One day, when I was a little girl in first or second grade, I made a discovery.  I found out that all fathers are not the same.

It was recess time, and a little friend and I stood talking.  I don’t remember what we were talking about. I remember only this one statement she made: “When I want something, I ask my father.  Even when he says no, I cry and beg until he gives in.  I can almost always get my way.”

Now this may surprise you, but not for even a moment did I envy her.  My instant reaction was . . . pity for her.  That’s right.  I felt sorry for her.  And here’s the reason why.

If I asked my father for something, and he said no, I knew he meant it.  There was no need for me to cry, beg or plead.  His first answer was the same as his last.  I knew I could depend on my father to mean what he said.  This was a source of great stability and security to me.  My family was the center of my world at that time in my life, and my home was a safe and secure place.  I could depend on my father’s word.

Now, I realized that my little friend could get more things from her father than I could ever get from mine.  Things like more desserts or candy, permission to stay up late or to buy more new clothes.  But the ability to change her father’s decision, in a sense to control the decision, did not equal security to me.  I was very thankful that my father was not like hers.  Whether my father said yes or no, I knew he meant what he said and that I could depend on his word.

We have a Heavenly Father whose word is sure.  I Kings 8:56 says in part, Blessed be the Lord. . . according to all that He promised.  There has not failed one word of His good promise. The promises in His word will never fail us.  Psalm 119:89 says, Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in Heaven.  So sure are God’s words to us that no matter how dark our circumstances, we can use His word to light our pathway (see Psalm 119:105).

How important is it to God that we be able to depend on His word?  Psalm 138:2 tells us that He has magnified – for our benefit – His word even above His name.  Think about that for a minute.  If I were God, I would want you to be sure to understand my greatness.  Sure, I would want you to know you could depend on my word, but I would be more interested in you fully appreciating my absolute Supremacy.  So you would not give me any hassles.  Not so with our loving Heavenly Father.  His love for us is so great that He wants what is best for us. The promises in His word. And so, He has made His word of greater importance – to us – than His name.  What love!

I guess Jesus said it all when He told us i. n Matthew 4:4 that we cannot live by bread (material things) alone.  In order to live life fully, as He intends, we need every word that comes from the mouth of our loving Heavenly Father.  How blessed we are to have access to His word – both the written word and the living word, Jesus.  In His word, we have all we will ever, ever need. (Reprint from October 1989)