God the Father

Today I was feeling very discouraged and distant from the Lord.  I opened my Bible and read Romans 8:16: "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."  God is the creator of all but only those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ are called His children.  Adoption is such a radical doctrine in the Bible.  We who were enemies and alienated from God have been brought near.  Upon regeneration--coming to faith in Jesus Christ--we are treated and indeed become God's children. He is our Father in the very real and intimate sense.  He is close and personal and we are under His personal care.

God is our providential provider and our protector.  Such a truth helped me to rest in His heavenly care with childlike trust.  He works all things for good which means a growing likeness to Jesus Christ. He hovers near and sorts and sifts everything through His loving, sovereign and wise hands. It is here under His aegis that we are permitted to be vulnerable and emotionally transparent. We can lay our hearts bare before Him for He cares about us. That's what I did and the tears flowed down my cheeks. I came to Him with heartfelt needs. I cried for some time as I poured out my heart. He met me in that place. He moved quickly to comfort and to calm and I rest assured in His grace for that moment. 

As I pondered my relationship with the omnipotent God I was grateful that He did indeed call me His child.  He tenderly considers all that concerns me.  He is my Abba which translates "Daddy." It is a strong word and indicates a personally intimate relationship.  The Spirit we receive when we come to faith in Jesus sets the Father's heart on us as His own children. Here we have an antidote to anxiety and aloneness. We are His in the most intimate of ways. And even more amazing He is our Father in the most true sense of the word.