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Galatians 4:6-7 - "Abba, Father!"Galatians 4:6-7 (NLT) And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.WORD STUDY "Abba, Father!" Abba is an Aramaic term for "father" that suggests warmth, closeness, intimacy, and mutual delight. God adopts us into His heavenly family the moment we place our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and because He accepts us just as He accepts His own Son, we are "joint heirs with Christ" (Rom 8:17). Yet, God didn't bring us into His family to be our austere and stern Father, but to be our beloved and approachable Daddy. [Life Principles SB By Charles Stanley] INTRODUCTION Paul uses the illustration of slavery to show that before Christ came and died for sins, people were in bondage to the law. Thinking they could be saved by it, they became enslaved to trying - and failing - to keep it. But we who were once slaves are now God's very own children who have an intimate relationship with him. Because of Christ, there is no reason to be afraid of God. We can come boldly into his presence, knowing that he will welcome us as his family members. [Life Application SB] COMMENTARY PEARL Our two-year-old chocolate labrador, Ody, loves the outdoors. The other day I found him outside the front door. "How did you get out?" I said as I let him in. Then, he escaped again. I was puzzled until one day I saw him jump up and hit the downstairs door handle, which is a lever. He pulled it down with his paws and opened the door. He had figured out the key to his freedom - the door handle. I wondered what my life would be like if I escaped the confines of my world and lived freer. Every day I have a long to-do list. I've even started getting up at 5:30 a.m. to get it all done. Because I work at home and have taken on all sorts of obligations, I rarely go outside. Perhaps I'm enslaved to achievement, security, and productivity. I've created my own housebound life. But I know the door handle that sets me free. It's Jesus. Jesus died to set me spiritually free once and for all. By trusting Him, I'm also free from things holding me hostage in life, such as overcommitting, self-imposed workloads, and getting my to-do list done. My own obsessions have kept me from living carefree. Ody's talent as an escape artist reminded me that Jesus came to set me free. Jesus's sacrifice broke the chains I had placed on myself and opened the door to living freer. Today, I'll take Ody, and myself, for a good romp outside. Jeannie Blackmer Faith Step: What's keeping you from living the carefree life Jesus offers? Today, take a walk and ponder ways to live freer. [Mornings With Jesus 2023 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] COMMENTARY Abba, Father The word father conjures up different images for everyone. To some it brings the picture of love, laughter, respect, and acceptance. Unfortunately, others associate the term father with fear, rejection, and disappointment. That is why it is so important not to take your understanding of your heavenly Father from your experience. Take it from Scripture. You undoubtedly had an imperfect earthly father, perhaps even one who brought you harm. But, as in all of your Christian life, the key is not to understand the Bible based on your experience, but to understand your experience in light of the Bible. God is your model of a father in the truest sense of the word. Your heavenly Father was willing to pay any price in order to save you (Ro 8:32). Your heavenly Father is always ready to meet your needs (Lu 11:11-13). Your heavenly Father loves you so much that He is willing to discipline you to bring you to Christian maturity (Pr 3:11-12; Heb 12:5-10). Even when you rebel against Him and reject His love, your Father continues to do what is best for you (Ro 5:8). He does not make His love for you conditional upon your love for Him. He loves you even when you are not loving Him (1John 4:19). He has made you His heirs and reserves a home for you in heaven (Ro 8:15-17). This is what a father is like biblically. If this has not been your experience, it can be now. There is One who has adopted you and who wants to love you in a way you have never experienced. Take comfort and strength from Him-- your heavenly Father. [Experiencing God Day by Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby] Who Is God - God Is Our Father The God of the Bible is our Creator, the Lord of the universe. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, holy, and awesome. But the Bible also reveals something astounding: this great God is our Father! Does that seem irreverent? How can we call the great God of the universe, who is beyond our understanding, our Father? The apostle Paul reminds us that a-new relationship was made available when God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. When we believe in Jesus Christ, we become God's children, with all the rights and privileges that go with it. God is the ultimate parent. He provides and cares for us. He gives us a spiritual inheritance. He nurtures us and teaches us. We can call God "Abba," an Aramaic term that can be translated as "Daddy." No earthly parent can meet all your needs, and many are much less than perfect. But as a follower of Jesus, you have a heavenly Father who will never leave you nor forsake you. You are adopted as God's own child, in his care forever. There is no safer place to be. [The One Year Bible for New Believers] We Are His When you consider who God is and who you are to him, what comes up? Does he feel like a far-off figure, dictating your life like a CEO or a grandfather? Or is he like a loving parent whom you know well, who supports you, who wants what is best for you, and who offers you all he can? May today be the day where you draw closer to the reality of God's loving-kindness toward you. He is a good, good Father, not just as the song suggests but as his character guarantees. He pursues you with passion, and he always has good intentions for you. Do you trust his heart? It is hard to trust someone you do not know well. Give time to getting to know his loving nature more today. Read through the descriptions Jesus gave of the Father. Acquaint yourself with the parables that speak of the Father's love, and let it drive your own heart to open to him. Ask for a greater experiential revelation of God's love for you and spend time in prayer and in the Word waiting on him today. [365 Days of Courage by Sara Perry of Broadstreet Pub] Strength Is On The Way I recently spent the better part of an hour reciting the woes of my life to my wife. I felt overwhelmed by commitments and deadlines. I'd been sick with the flu. There was tension at the church between some coworkers. We'd received word of friends who were getting a divorce. If you could have read my mind, you would have thought you were perusing the textbook for Pessimism 101. My work is in vain. I'm going to move to the Amazon jungle and live in a hut. After several minutes Denalyn interrupted me with a question. "Is God in this anywhere?" (I hate it when she does that.) What had happened to me? I wasn't turning to God. I'd limited my world to my own strength, wisdom, and power. No wonder I was in a tailspin. For such moments God gives this promise: "We are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). Strength is on the way. The gauge may be bouncing on Empty, but we will not run out of fuel. Our Father will not allow it. [You Can Count On God by Max Lucado] If Only.... Maybe your past isn't much to brag about. Maybe you've seen raw evil. And now you ... have to make a choice. Do you rise above the past and make a difference? Or do you remain controlled by the past and make excuses?... Many choose the convalescent homes of the heart. Healthy bodies. Sharp minds. But retired dreams. Back and forth they rock in the chair of regret, repeating the terms of surrender. Lean closely, and you will hear them: "If only." "If only I'd been born somewhere else...." "If only I'd been treated fairly...." Maybe you've used those words. Maybe you have every right to use them ... If such is the case ... go to John's Gospel, and read Jesus' words: "Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from the Spirit" (John 3:6). [Grace For The Moment SB By Max Lucado] CLOSING THOUGHT Are you a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ? Then you can become like Him as you yield to the Spirit (v. 19; 2 Cor. 3:18). [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe] LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY Romans 8:15 - No Longer Fearful Slaves But Joyful Children Of God. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220618-1002.html John 3:3 - You Must Be Born Again To Enter The Kingdom Of God. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200518-0946.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |