Key Bible Verse: He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his great love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song (Zephaniah 3:17, NIV).

Bonus Readings: Deuteronomy 7:6; Psalm 149:4; Isaiah 43:1–4; Matthew 17:5; Luke 15:1–32; John 14:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 1 John 3:1

The movie I Am Sam tells the story of a mentally delayed father (Sean Penn) and his custody battle over his seven-year-old daughter, Lucy. In the course of the movie, it's clear that Sam's love for his daughter is far healthier and more powerful than most parents could ever dream of, even though he needs assistance raising her.

The very last scene of the movie shows Sam, clad in a black and white striped shirt with a whistle roped around his neck, refereeing one of Lucy's soccer games. Father and daughter laugh together during warm ups as he leads the kids in their stretches. The whole team is caught up in the fun they have together.

When Sam blows the whistle for the game to start, he runs around the field cheering on the kids instead of refereeing. The parents on the sideline, riveted by the game, root both for the kids and the referee!

Lucy scores a goal and pandemonium breaks out. Sam is simply beside himself. He runs to Lucy, gathers her in his arms laughing and parades her around the field, followed by cheering kids and wild applause. As the movie starts to fade, the final image captures Lucy smiling, her arms clasped around her father's neck, and Sam, head thrown back, beaming heavenward.

What a picture of our heavenly Father's love. Our verse in Zephaniah says that God will "rejoice over you in great gladness" and "exalt over you by singing a happy song." We need to let that thought seep deep into our bones. How easy it is to trust such a father. To know that God doesn't just tolerate us, but that he rejoices over us, he exalts over us. In other words, he picks us up and parades us around the field for all the hosts of heaven to know how delighted he is with us.

Even the best of earthly fathers fail. Those who are strict to protect their children, often end up squelching their child's joy. Those who indulge their child's every whim, produce a self-centered adult. Those who work hard to provide, may shortchange the time they spend with their child.

It's well known in psychological circles that how we view our earthly fathers affects how we view our heavenly Father, which means that most of us must relearn how to view God. The next time you are tempted to see God as a strict task master or a distant deity, picture him instead as a Father who is deliriously happy to call you his child.

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