God Our Father

Devotional

As a follower of Jesus you have been brought into the family of God. Take a moment to let that truth sink in. Think about what it means to have God, the Creator of the universe, the embodiment of Perfect Love, as your Father. So often we lose sight of the fact that God is our Father and view him through perspectives not aligned with Scripture. We view God through lenses the world and unfortunate experiences have given us rather than a revelation of him as a good Father given to us by the revolutionary teaching of Jesus.

In Matthew 7:9-11 Jesus teaches us, “Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” You have a Father who loves to give you good gifts. So often we think of God as a harsh disciplinarian who never lets his kids enjoy life. We assume he will say no to anything that gives us pleasure as if he only wanted us to go to church more, pray more, or give more time and money. But that’s not the heart of your Father. Your God is the author of joy, pleasure, happiness, and good gifts. He longs for your life to be filled with the perfect gifts he has planned for you every day. John 10:10 says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” As your perfect Shepherd, God will faithfully guide you to and supply you with all you need to live marked by fullness of life.

In Matthew 19:14, Jesus displays the heart of the Father when he says, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” As our Father, God longs for us as his children to simply be with him. He longs for us to know his love and embrace—to let it be the foundation of everything we do. More than God desires any task of you, he longs for your heart. So great was his desire for just the opportunity of relationship with you that Jesus displayed the fullness of God’s unconditional love by willingly laying down his life for you. There is no room in Scripture to view God as anything but perfectly loving and good. View God as the good Father he is, and run to him with open arms and an open heart that you might find fullness of life in his eternal embrace.

Take time in guided prayer to allow God’s presence to overcome misconceptions you might have about him. Often if we’ve been in church for long enough we stop at a theological understanding of God the Father and don’t allow time and space for him to heal our hearts and transform our lives. Don’t let that happen today! You have a good Father who loves and longs to simply meet with you. Spend time with him today getting lost in the sweetness of restored relationship.