THE HEART OF THE FATHER
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Luke 11:11-13 (NIV)
“I thought to Myself, ‘I would love to treat you as My own children! I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land—the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling Me ‘Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from Me.”
Jeremiah 3:19 (NLT)
My dad wasn’t around much during my growing-up years. There were no conversations about God or faith, and before I was a teenager, my dad had moved out. As a result, it never crossed my mind that God is a Father. I had no idea He invited me to be part of His forever family. I became a follower of Christ at age 21, but needless to say, it’s taken a long, long time to experience God as a Father. I’m finding this is a struggle for so many people.
You may have had a different experience with your earthly father. Maybe he was more engaged and present in your life. Maybe he made it easier for you to relate with God as a Father. If that’s true, celebrate! People like that seem to be rare these days.
But here’s the reality: no matter how great or how awful your earthly dad is or was, he could never come close to how God is able to and wants to Father you. Our parents could never be perfect (obviously!), and it seems one of their primary roles was to help us know God as Father. We were, in a sense, meant to be handed off to the one true Father. After all, God is the One who made up the idea of fatherhood in the first place!
When we’re able to deliberately and confidently call God Father, it reveals we’ve grasped something beautiful and fundamental about God. He delights in sharing His love toward us as a kind and gracious Father.
APPLICATION: Write God is my Father on a notecard or sticky. Put this somewhere you’ll see it often and ask God to help you know Him as a Father more now than ever before.
PRAYER: God, I am Your son/daughter. You are my Father, and I need You to Father me. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?