SITA HENDERSON: 32 Years! Happy Birthday blessings to my firstborn!

HAPPY 32ND BIRTHDAY

Nathan

As I looked at you holding your baby today, I kept seeing you as my firstborn baby. Hard to believe that so much time has gone by. So grateful to the Lord for His many answers concerning you. I see His Handprints all over your journey and grateful for His grace.

This stage of your life as a father to young ones will be both tiring and exhilarating and as I watch you with them, my heart again melts for I am so in love with my boys.

You are also now a worship leader using your gift of singing for His glory, and again, anytime I watch you, my heart melts and I am so grateful. I guess you would now understand how I feel as you watch your own.

I am reminded today of how your Dad and I carefully chose your name because of it's meaning that I posted on your 21st birthday that I will repeat now to remind you of your biblical namesake and the blessing over you.

"In Hebrew, Nathan literally means "he gave."

Wayne Blank says this of your Biblical namesake:

"Nathan, in Hebrew meaning God has given, was a prophet of God who served King David and his son and successor King Solomon. He was a wise and steadfast servant of God, and of the Israelite monarchy, who was often consulted by the kings. He was also fearless; it was Nathan who rebuked David after the incident with Bathsheba, and it was Nathan who intervened during the attempted palace coup by Adonijah."

Heavens Cross Ministries gives an insightful look into Nathan:

Nathan, the prophet, lived up to his name, "He[God] has given." Nathan was a necessary and helpful gift from God to David. He served as God's spokesman to David and proved himself a fearless friend and counselor, always willing to speak the truth, even when he knew great pain would result.

In confronting David's multiple sin of coveting, theft, adultery and murder in his affair with Bathsheba, Nathan was able to help David see his own wrongdoing by showing that he would not have tolerated such actions from anyone else. David's repentance allowed Nathan to comfort him with the reality of God's forgiveness, and at the same time remind him of the painful consequences his sin would bring.

Nathan's approach helps us judge our own actions. It shows us how often we condemn others for things that we also do. We need to ask how God and others would view our actions. Unfortunately, we have a huge capacity to lie to ourselves. God provides two safeguards against self-deception: His Word and true friends. Let God's Word speak to you about yourself, even if the truth is painful. If you don't have a friend like Nathan, ask God for one.

How befitting the young man you have become.

Yes, my son, you are a Giver.

You have been entrusted with a gift.

Giving."

I see a couple of qualities: Giver, Courageous, Truth-Teller, Steadfastness, Wisdom.

I see all of them in you and I pray that God continues to bless and magnify these qualities in you because you will need them in your roles as parent and husband, lawyer and worship leader. So that is my blessing for you, that as you continue to seek Him, carving out alone time (hard with kids and hectic job!), that He will continue to transform you into His image with the qualities of Nathan as part of the fruit of the Spirit.

Scriptural Blessing: (Ephesians 3:16-19)

16 May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, 18 be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; 19 and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I thank You so very much for my son, who is actually Your's. I am amazed for this gift of Nathan who in turn is a gift to all around him. You have gifted him with so much and he has bloomed under Your perfect care. I love that he is under the canopy of Your protection. I continue to ask for your provision, protection and peace for him and his family. May his daughters develop a love and hunger for you even at an early age. May You guard the relationship with his wife and continue to nurture them to minister to other couples. Bring alongside them other couples to build them up. Grant him all that he needs to work with excellence at his job. Surprise him with many tangible signs of Your loving kindness towards him. anoint him with Your power as he sings for you and brings others to worship You. I now again surrender him to You Who loves him perfectly.

In the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.