God the Father's immense love for His children is demonstrated through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, and extends to providing all things freely. This includes the privilege of His practical care for daily needs, such as food and clothing, as illustrated by Jesus' teaching not to worry and the example of God feeding the ravens. Believers, who are of far greater value than birds, can trust that their Heavenly Father will meet their needs, as evidenced by the testimony of J. Hudson Taylor, who experienced God's provision even when supplies were depleted. Ultimately, knowing God as Father through faith in Christ grants access to these profound privileges and His unfailing care.
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Beloved radio, friends, we greet you in the precious and the worthy name of our Savior, the Lord Jesus. This is your Bible teacher of the air speaking, J.W. Bramhall, coming to you again with glad, wonder of praise in my heart to consider the wonderful subject of the Father and his family. I wonder if we who are Christians properly value the wonderful privileges that we have in the family of God. We have considered some precious and important truth concerning God the Father and His family, which is my earnest prayer that it has been a definite and eternal blessing to my radio friends.
Yet we who are the children of God and related to our Heavenly Father, have we intelligently realized as well as enjoyed the wonderful privileges that belong to us in the family of the Father above. There are many blessed privileges given to us as His children, and they all declare the great heart of love of the Father in relation to us and in relation to even our needs. But before considering a few, let us make certain that we realize the importance of the Father's love for his children, so that we can understand clearly these privileges in the light of his great love.
I would like to read to you the words of Romans chapter eight, and verse thirty-two. These words declare, He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? We definitely believe that the greatest gift that the Father's love has bestowed upon us was the gift of his beloved Son. There can be no greater gift, but we also would confess that even the lesser gifts of blessing, they only flow to us from the greatest gift of all, as Romans eight thirty-two declares. They come with Christ.
Note the latter words of the verse. How shall he not with him, that is with Christ, also freely give us all things? But how much do you and I, who are the children of God, know about the all things in this verse? Things that are freely given to us by the Father through his beloved Son. There are many privileges that the Father has provided for us. We should enjoy them. But let us consider a few of them now. First consider with me the privilege of the Father's care. Is the Father in heaven concerned and interested in his children in such a manner that they may know his practical care for them?
He certainly is. And consider with me a definite scripture portion that proves our Heavenly Father is concerned about our daily needs. Listen to the words of Luke chapter twelve. Verses twenty-two and twenty-three, spoken by the Lord Jesus to his disciples as well as to us. And Jesus said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body more than raiment. Now here are two of life's greatest necessities mentioned.
And that is, food and clothing. Does our Heavenly Father concern himself about our food and our clothing? He assuredly does. Please note the emphatic words of Jesus. And let me translate them clearly in their meaning from verse twenty-two. Do not be anxious about what ye shall eat and what ye shall put on. The hearts of God's children should never have any anxiety about these things, says the Lord. Over anxiety about life's necessities in this world, the Lord speaks about in this Scripture.
Now to some people these common necessities of life, food and raiment may seem very common. But the more you and I ponder the words of God, the more weighty the words of Jesus will appear. Shall we continue our consideration of our Heavenly Father's care for his children? My way to your friend. Listen, is God your Father? Have you been born again? Have you been born into his family by the Spirit of God? Have you definitely manifested and placed your faith in his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? For we are told in Galatians, When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian believers, For ye are all the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
And what a privilege, what a joy to have, the knowledge of God's love and grace that makes us his children. But may we be reminded, we are not his children unless we have placed true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. my radio friend, before I can speak further concerning the Father's care for his children. I would like to ask, have you believed that God sent his Son into the world to die on the cross of Calvary for your sins? To make you a child of God? For it is written, but as many as received him, that is Christ, the Son of God, to them gave thee the power, meaning the authority, the right, the privilege to become, or to be called the sons or the children of God.
Even to them that believe on his name. John chapter one in verse twelve. It is then, and not before, that you and I come into the Father's family, and then we can say we may enjoy the privilege of the Father's care. Now I want you to know what that care involves in Luke chapter twelve, where we have been reading. In verses twenty-two through twenty-four, we have certainly noticed in the reading of that scripture that the Lord we find feeds the ravens. The Lord declares your heavenly Father feedeth the ravens, who neither sow nor reap.
Neither do they have a storehouse or a barn. Now, my beloved friends, God's children are much more valued by Him than the ravens, and our Father in heaven is able to feed them with the necessities of their need. But may I ask, did you ever hear of the birds planting a garden? Did you ever hear of them storing up food? Never. Yet every day God feeds them. Every day God meets their need. And every day, do you not believe, God can prove His care in this respect of daily need for those who are His children.
Those who have been born and brought into eternal relationship with the Father through the blood of his beloved Son. What a joy to recognize. They are of much more value than the birds of the air. Can the Father provide our daily need for food? Do you remember in the words of the so-called Lord's Prayer? In that prayer the Lord Jesus informs us that we should say, praying to the Father give us this day our daily bread." Many testimonies from the children of God could be quoted, where God has definitely met the need of providing food in their lives, even when the cupboard may have been bare.
May I tell you of an incident that took place in the experience of one of God's choicest servants, by the name of J. Hudson Taylor, God's great servant and missionary to China many decades ago. He expected God constantly, as his Heavenly Father, to provide the necessities of food as he labored in that great continent of China preaching the gospel. On one occasion, when he returned from a mission to another part of China, and his beloved wife greeted him as he entered the home, She gave evidence of great sadness and lamentation.
And very carefully she said to her husband, as soon as he entered, Hudson, the flower barrel is empty, and we have nothing left. Not even to make a piece of bread. What shall we do? As the servant of God looked at his distressed wife, he surprised her, and he challenged her faith by saying this. He said, Darling, I'll tell you what I'll do with you. I'll put my head with you into that empty flower barrel, and I'll sing the doxology with you. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.
This beloved servant of God knew, and he also proved, constantly as many others have. His Heavenly Father would never fail. My beloved, let me state, I'm glad that he's my father. I hope that he's yours. For even in this chapter of Luke, the beloved apostle certainly, or the Lord Jesus, certainly indicates that he will meet our need. How precious to realize, how much better are we than the foul, says the Lord. Let me quote the words of a little poem. Said the Robin to the sparrow.
Why do these human beings worry so? Said the sparrow to the robin, friend, it must be they have no heavenly Father like you and me. Oh, my beloved, it is wonderful to have a heavenly Father who bids us to consider the ravens. They neither sow nor reap. They neither have storehouse nor barn, but God feedeth them. Now if the creator of the birds provides their food and gives a daily supply to them, should a child of God fear that the Heavenly Father will let his redeemed children starve?Ye are of more value than many sparrows, said the Lord Jesus.
Oh, may we indeed realize, we who are the children of God, we have a wonderful Heavenly Father who not only feeds the ravens, but he cares for his children in their need of food. May we ask my radio friend, do you know God as your Father, or do you know Christ as your Savior? You do not know what you're missing, when you do not know the Father nor his Son, for you will come into the care of the Heavenly Father which we all need. Father, bless the truth of thy word, we ask in the Savior's name. For his honor and wellness for his glory.