God Our Father
“Our Father…” Matthew 6:9
The Bible is fixated on having us know how God is our Father. In the Gospel of John alone, there are over 100 mentions of God as Father.
Jesus is the primary reason we address God as Father. Not only do we see him speak to God as his Father, he makes it very clear that we should know God this way too. While we don't have time to go through all the examples, I'll mention three.
In Luke 12:32, we see Jesus talking to his followers when he says, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."
In John 20:17, we read that after Jesus' resurrection, he told Mary Magdalene, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father."
And, of course, in the Lord's Prayer, where Jesus is teaching his disciples how to pray, he starts by saying, "Pray this way: Our Father in heaven."
Seeing God as Father reveals his intimate connection to his children. This profound reality is easy to overlook or take for granted. But from beginning to end, God as Father is biblical and essential in helping us relate to the One who truly is our Father.
While our earthly fathers should give us a glimpse of God's love, we need to be careful here because they are all far from perfect. We need to ultimately look at God as the true example of what a father should be and not our earthly fathers.
If there is no way you can feel good about resting in the arms of your earthly father, take heart. Look to God. He loves you like no other. God is not a distant and angry father, but a warm, loving, protecting, providing father who is dedicated to what's best for his children.
Our earthly fathers, as good or bad as they might be, are not the reference point for being a good father. God is. While we all have an earthly father from whom we share DNA, God is the true and primary originator of our lives and we are made in his image.
God as our father:
will never leave us (Deut 31:6-8; Ps 94:14; Heb 13:5)
rescues us (Ps 34:19, 91:14, 138:7; John 3:16, 10:27-28)
disciplines us (Heb 12:3-11)
hears us (Mi 7:7; 1 Pet 3:12; 1 Jn 5:14)
protects us (Ps 5:11, 32:7; Rom 8:28; 2 Thes 3:3)
nurtures and trains us (Phil 2:13; 1 Pet 5:7)
meets our needs (Ps 23:1, 84:11; Rom 8:32; Phil 4:19)
When we see God as Father, we experience a personal connection with the One who is outside creation and is the sovereign of everything he has created.
God is not distant, but attentive and caring. God is love. When we see God's heart toward his children, thoughts and emotions of thanksgiving, love, and joy should explode within us.
We should also continually experience a sense of bewilderment. How can it be that God truly loves someone undeserving in every way imaginable? How can the pure, Holy One even look at me without turning away? Well, God loves us because God loves us. He couldn't bear to lose us.
In fact, he loves us so much that Jesus came and took our sin and its consequences upon himself. Jesus, with his life, paid the penalty. God does not love us because we are good or cute. We're not. He loves us because he loves us.
Kind Father, your love for me is amazing. I'm sorry that I often don't see you as I should and sometimes, like a two-year-old, I don't care. I'm sorry. Thank you for, like a good Father, always loving me.
Song: Altogether Good