When the heart cries ‘Daddy’

We can only know God as “Abba,” “Daddy,” with our heart. As we saw yesterday, referring to Him as “Father” is wonderful. Yet the word can be too broad and nebulous. In the Old Testament, for example, God as “Father” is mentioned 14 times, but always in its broadest sense, as in Him being the Father of humanity or Father of Israel. But 275 times in the New Testament Jesus calls God “Father” in a manner so personal it offended the religious establishment. They knew God as “Father” with their “head,” but He knew God as “Father” with His “heart”!

“Abba” was the way a small child addressed her father. Important prayers at institutional settings, like dedications and inaugurations, often begin with a pretentious sounding “Faw-ther Gawd,” but those who know by the witness of the Spirit that they are His kids call Him “Abba,” “Daddy.” 

George Washington is the “father” of my country, but I’m not authorized to call him “daddy.” Does your heart feel free to call God “Abba”?

TODAY’S FOCUS
If you can’t call God “Abba,” you need to receive His only begotten Son. Pray like this: “Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God Who died for me, rose again, and ascended to the Father. I now turn away from my sin, and receive You as my Savior.” If you are a child of God through Christ, meditate on what it means that the Father of the universe is your Abba, and worship Him.