The Father Who Stays

“When my father and my mother forsake me, then
the Lord will take care of me.” -Psalm 27:10

As Father’s Day approaches, I know people experience this season in very different ways. Some look forward to celebrating fathers who loved, guided, protected, and encouraged them. Others approach the holiday with mixed emotions, carrying memories that are more painful than joyful.

I understand that side of the story.

My father wasn’t present in my life growing up. Like many people who have experienced that kind of absence, there were seasons when I felt the weight of what was missing. I wondered what it would have been like to have a father cheering me on, giving advice, teaching me life lessons, or simply showing up when I needed him.

When we’re young, we naturally focus on what isn’t there. We notice the empty seat, the missed moments, the conversations that never happened, the guidance we wish we had received.

For a long time, that’s how I viewed my story.

But something interesting happens as we walk with the Lord over the years. We begin looking backward with different eyes. The older I get, the more I can see that while my earthly father was absent, my Heavenly Father never was.

At the time, I couldn’t always recognize it. Most of us can’t. We are living in the middle of our everyday lives, often unaware of how much God is doing around us. Yet one of the beautiful truths of Scripture is that God’s presence is not dependent on our awareness of it. He doesn’t come and go based on our feelings. He doesn’t disappear when life gets difficult. He doesn’t step away when we struggle.

Think about your own life for a moment. Have there been seasons when you felt alone? Seasons when you wished someone had understood, encouraged, or stood beside you? While people may not have always shown up the way we hoped, God was there. He was there in the quiet moments, in the tears no one else saw, in the decisions that felt overwhelming, and in the ordinary days that seemed unremarkable at the time.

One of the things I have come to appreciate most about my Heavenly Father is not simply what He has done for me, but the fact that He has never left me. Through every season of life, His presence has been constant. Friends have come and gone. Circumstances have changed. People have disappointed me. Yet God has remained exactly who He has always been.

Isn’t that what we all long for? Someone who stays. Someone who is faithful. Someone whose love is not based on our performance, our successes, or our failures. Deep down, every human heart longs for that kind of security, and it is found perfectly in our Heavenly Father.

David understood this longing. Psalm 27 is one of his most personal psalms. He writes about fear, opposition, uncertainty, and his desire to remain close to God. Then he makes this remarkable statement: “When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me.”

Notice what David doesn’t say. He doesn’t say that being forsaken doesn’t hurt. He doesn’t pretend that broken relationships leave no scars. He doesn’t minimize the pain of human disappointment.

Instead, he points to a greater reality. Human love, even at its best, is limited. Human faithfulness, even at its best, is imperfect. Every earthly parent eventually falls short because every earthly parent is human.

But God never does.

Sometimes we think of God as simply a better version of an earthly father. Scripture paints an even bigger picture than that. God is not merely a substitute for what we didn’t receive. He is the perfect Father every earthly father was meant to reflect.

Earthly fathers may provide for a season, but God provides for eternity.

Earthly fathers may offer wisdom, but God IS wisdom.

Earthly fathers may protect us from some dangers, but God protects our souls.

Earthly fathers may leave us an inheritance, but God has made us heirs with Christ.

The more we understand who God is, the more we realize that our deepest need was never ultimately for a perfect earthly father. Our deepest need was always for Him.

That truth doesn’t erase the pain of what was missing. Some wounds are real, and some losses leave lasting marks. But it should change where we fix our eyes.

The enemy wants us to spend our lives staring at the empty places, but God invites us to see His faithfulness in those places.

Have we spent more time focusing on what was missing, or on the One who has faithfully remained?

The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I realize His greatest gift is not merely His provision, protection, or guidance. His greatest gift is His presence.

As Father’s Day approaches, perhaps the greatest gift we can give our Heavenly Father is gratitude—not because our stories were perfect, but because He was faithful in the middle of them. Through every disappointment, every unanswered question, every hurt, and every victory, He remained exactly who He has always been.

The Father who never leaves.

The Father who never forgets.

The Father who was there all along.

Your Heart Sister,
Mikki 💜

When we stop focusing solely on what was missing and start recognizing the faithfulness of the One who stayed, we discover that our Heavenly Father has been caring for us all along.

Father, thank You for being faithful in every season of our lives. Thank You for loving us perfectly, even when human relationships have fallen short. Help us to see Your hand in our story and recognize the countless ways You have cared for us through the years. Heal the places that still hurt, strengthen our faith, and remind us that we are never alone because we belong to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.