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“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba Father!’” Galatians 4:6
Key thought of the day
We can love God only because He has first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The word “father” conjures up different images for everyone. To some it brings the picture of love, laughter, respect, and acceptance. Unfortunately, others associate the term “father” with fear, rejection, and disappointment. This is why it is so important not to take your understanding of your heavenly Father from your experience. Take it from Scripture. You undoubtedly had an imperfect earthly father, perhaps even brought you harm. But, as in all your Christian life, the key is to understanding the Bible based on your experience, but to understand your experience in light of the Bible. God is your model of a father, the trust sense of the word.
Your heavenly Father was willing to pay any price in order to save you (Romans 8:32). Your heavenly Father is always ready to meet your needs (Luke 11: 11-13). Your heavenly Father loves you so much that He is willing to discipline you to Christian maturity (Prov 3:11-12; Hebrews 12;5-10). Even when you rebel against Him and reject His love, your Father continues to do what is best for you (Romans 5:8). He does not make His love for you conditional upon your love for Him. He loves you even when you are not loving Him (1 John 4:19). He has made you His heirs and reserves a home for you in heaven (Romans 8: 15-17).
This is what a father is like biblically. If this has not been your experience, it can be now. There is One who has adopted you and who wants to love you in a way you have never experienced. Take comfort and strength from Him – your heavenly Father.
Article is taken from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby
1. Remember the first time you fell in love with Jesus? Has your love for Him grown deeper or have you lost that first love? Have you allowed someone or something to rival your love for God?
2. No matter how much we yearn to be loved by our earthly fathers or someone else, their love at best is still imperfect. Do you know God takes great delight in you and rejoice over you with singing? He is fighting for your heart, because only He knows how to love you perfectly, unconditionally.
Confess to God if there are things that have competed for your love for God. Tell Him how much you love Him. How about you singing a love song back to Jesus?
