Most of us would know the Lord’s Prayer and many of us would have repeated the words at some time. It of course begins, ‘OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN ‘ . We can say the phrase, but is there a corresponding filial relationship, that is felt in our heart ?
Once, when running a Baptist Boys Club with another guy, I recall him making some comments about God which at the time sounded a little strange. He had been giving the boys a devotional talk and wanted them to understand that God was like a Dad. He was encouraging the boys to grasp this ‘dad’ concept of God. Actually, he had hit the nail on the head! Once we grasp the Father nature of God there is a totally new relationship we can enjoy. The best illustration is of course a human Father, who will communicate love to his children in different ways. One of the most powerful expressions of a father’s heart can be simply the way he speaks to his children. Can you recall your Father calling you by your name, perhaps greeting you, and the tone of his voice was one of love…you knew it, you felt it! There was a certain smile, an eye contact that was communicating the warmth of your Father’s heart toward YOU!

There is a very touching passage found in the Bible, where God, speaking through the Prophet Jeremiah and pleading for His people to return, says the following, “…. I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me ” Jer. 3:19 NIV. All God wanted, was to be their Father and treat them with kindness like any good father would. It can be difficult for us to fathom the depth of God’s paternal love for us. He reaches out to us and longs for our response.

We can talk about our privilege to call God our Father; all true, but let’s see it from God’s point of view; he actually wants to hear us call Him Father. When a child calls their parent ‘Mummy’ or ‘Daddy’ it causes a response in the heart of the parent affirming a very precious relationship. Our Father in Heaven wants nothing more than to hear us talking to Him and calling Him, ‘Father’.

We have a moral responsibility to live our lives to the best of our ability, but we all find times, and circumstances where we feel at our wits end. My experience is this, that if I am willing to talk it out with God the Father, He immediately becomes involved! How good is that!