Understanding Your Heavenly Father (1)

“They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.”         Jn 8:27 NKJV

The people in Jesus’ day found it hard to grasp the concept of God as a Father. Lord, king, judge, they understood—but not Father. The Old Testament rarely speaks of God as Father, whereas the New Testament mentions it often. Until Jesus came and revealed the Father, He remained a mystery. “No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him” (Mt 11:27 NIV). And many of us still don’t comprehend His fatherhood and the rich blessings we have in Him. “Father,” God’s all-inclusive name, incorporates everything we could ever need, while disclosing how He feels toward each one of us. It exemplifies every trait of the best father imaginable. Think what a loving, all-powerful father would do for a needy child. Your heavenly Father will do all that for you—and then some! When you recognize God as your Father, your fears dissolve and you start to believe that all your needs will truly be met. Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid…it gives your Father great happiness to give you the [benefits of His] Kingdom” (Lk 12:32 NLT). It makes God happyto offer you the resources of His kingdom! Why? Because He loves you as much as He loves His Son Jesus! Jesus prayed you’d know with confidence that your Father “loved [you] in the same way [He has] loved me” (Jn 17:23 MSG). As His redeemed child, you have all the benefits that come with membership in “the household of God” (Eph 2:19).

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