THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF GOD AS A PERSON

Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’”  (Matthew 6:7-10 ESV)

The Bible does not simply speak of God as 'one.' It speaks of God as a person. God is not like an abstract mathematical unit which is singular and stands by itself alone. We do not speak of God as an "it." We use a personal pronoun and speak of God as "He." The reason for this is that the Bible always speaks of God as a personal subject, as one who is in relation to another. God keeps His promises (Deuteronomy 4:31). He is merciful. He sees and hears His people (Exodus 3:7-8). He speaks and teaches (Genesis1:1; Deuteronomy 6:1). He loves (John 3:16). God can be angry (Deuteronomy 6:15). God can be long-suffering and patient (1 Peter 3:20). "It's" are none of those things. 

-- Dr. Bill Weinrich, excerpted from an article entitled “One God in Three Persons,” published in “GOD WORDS: Intro to Classic Christian Theology”

#6475

A LOVING FATHER

“I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: ‘Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making His home with men and women! They’re His people, He’s their God.’” (Revelation 21:3 MSG) The narrator makes the same point four times in four consecutive phrases:

          “God has moved into the neighborhood”
          “making His home with men and women!”
          “They’re His people,”
          “He’s their God.”

The announcement comes with the energy of a six-year-old declaring the arrival of his father from a long trip. “Daddy’s home! He’s here! Mom, he’s back!” One statement won’t suffice. This is big news worthy of repetition. We shall finally see God face-to-face. “They will see His face” (Revelation 22:4).

Let this sink in. You will see the face of God. You will look into the eyes of the One who has always seen; you will behold the mouth that commands history. And if there is anything more amazing than the moment you see His face, it’s the moment He touches yours. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4).

God will touch your tears. Not flex His muscles or show off His power. Lesser kings would strut their stallions or give a victory speech. Not God. He prefers to rub a thumb across your cheek as if to say, “There, there, my child, no more tears.”

Isn’t that what a loving father does? 

-- Max Lucado in “God’s Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours” 

#6169

ABBA, FATHER

The ability of love to speak to the deepest places of our hearts never goes away. Have you ever noticed how people in love sometimes speak to each other in baby talk? It is immensely intimate and private -- and it’s off-putting to a third party. If you do it, I wouldn’t want to hear it. But we do it because it is the tenderest language we know.

Jesus’ prayer life demonstrated this intimacy, because He called God “Abba,” an Aramaic word much like “Dada” or “Momma.” (Jesus spoke in Aramaic, and some portions of the New Testament are written in Aramaic rather than Greek.)  “Abba” was a Jewish child’s first word, because it was so easy to say. Somehow when Jesus was with God, the tender love that an adult offers to a child to give strength is what He received from His Father. It rewired His nervous system.

It does not stop there, for Jesus told His followers that they could have this same experience. This is why Paul wrote that by the Spirit we too can say, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). This is what happens when we are praying in the flow.

God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children (Romans 8:16). 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#6168

FROM YAHWEH TO FATHER

“In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”  (Psalm 31:1-5 NKJV)

Psalm 31 holds a special place in Christian history because it is one of only two psalms that are explicitly quoted by Jesus on the cross. The other, Psalm 22, is frequently cited in our sacred remembrance of the passion, but it is here in Psalm 31 where we find the last spoken words of Jesus according to the Gospel of Luke: “Into Your hands I commit My spirit” (v. 5; Luke 23:46 NKJV). However, there is a little detail that you should notice when comparing the two passages. Psalm 31 addresses Yahweh [Lord], the sacred covenantal name of God. It is a name so exalted and holy that the Jews would not even pronounce the name. It is rendered in the Hebrew Bible with only four consonants: YHWH. However, Jesus precedes these words from Psalm 31 with the most intimate term imaginable when He says, “Father, into Your hands, I commit My spirit.” The movement from YHWH to Father is, in seed form, one of the greatest summaries of the gospel message and is why Jesus came to earth. Before the coming of Christ, God was distant and unapproachable. His name could not be spoken. Now, through the intercession of Christ and His redemptive work, we who were once “far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

Indeed, it is fitting that at the very moment Jesus was, quite literally, shedding His blood for us, He addressed God as Father, thereby modeling for us the new and living way that was being opened to all of us through the gospel. Now, we can all cry, “Father” for, as Paul declares, “you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15). This is the good news that is ours through the work of Jesus Christ! 

-- Timothy and Julie Tennent in “A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms” 

#6095

ENDURANCE, ENCOURAGEMENT AND HOPE

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Romans 15:4-6 NIV)

Hope is willing to leave unanswered questions unanswered and unknown futures unknown. Hope makes you see God’s guiding hand not only in the gentle and pleasant moments but also in the shadows of disappointment and darkness. 

-- Henri J. M. Nouwen

#5562

GOD’S FAVORITE NAME

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”  (Galatians 4:4-6 NRSV)

Of all His names, Father is God’s favorite. We know He loves this name most because this is the one He used most. While on earth, Jesus called God “Father” over two hundred times. In His first recorded words Jesus explained, “Didn’t you know that I must be in My Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). In His final triumphant prayer He proclaims, “Father, I give You My life” (Luke 23:46). In the Gospel of John alone, Jesus repeats this name 156 times. God loves to be called Father. After all, didn’t Jesus teach us to begin our prayer with the phrase, “Our Abba”?

"Abba” was, to Jesus, an everyday word, and remains so to Israel’s children even today. It is an affectionate, family word. The equivalent would be Poppa, Daddy or Dad. It is right for you to call God your Creator; indeed He is. You speak truth when you call Him your Master; indeed He is. It is appropriate for you to call Him your King, Lord and Sovereign God. But if you want to touch His heart, call Him by the name He loves to hear. Call Him “Abba.” Call Him your “Father.” 

-- Max Lucado

#5095

THE FATHER’S PURPOSE FOR US

Here is the gospel in summary: Christ came to reveal that the Father’s essential purpose for us is to accept His love and in response to do His will. Throughout His incarnate life on earth, Jesus taught that surrender and obedience are the keys to receiving the Father’s power. And He lived what He taught. His watchword was, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” His constant prayer was “Abba, Father” -- the intimate words of trust meaning “dearest Father.” He taught us to pray “our Father.” There was never any question in His mind or heart about who was in charge or in control. He modeled life without a power struggle and lived a life emulating the nature and character of the Father. His unequaled love, the works He accomplished, and the miracles He performed -- all exemplified His complete trust in and obedience to God the Father. In the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross the word in His heart and on His lips was Father. 

 -- Lloyd J. Ogilvie in “If God Cares, Why Do I Still Have Problems?”

#4898

MEDITATING ON THE CROSS

“We also rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  (Romans 5:3-4 NIV)

God is not a distant Creator or impersonal Ground of Being, but a loving Father who shares our suffering and hurts with us.

On the cross Christ endured a suffering beyond all understanding: He bore the punishment for the sins of the whole world. None of us can comprehend that suffering. Though He was innocent, He voluntarily underwent incomprehensible suffering for us. And why? -- because He loves us so much. How can we reject Him who gave up everything for us?

When God asks us to undergo suffering that seems unmerited, pointless, and unnecessary, meditation upon the cross of Christ can help to give us the strength and courage needed to bear the cross that we are asked to carry.

-- William Lane Craig in “On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision”

#4833

ABBA, FATHER

“Because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”  (Galatians 4:6 NRSV)

Calling God “Abba” is rooted in Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane: “And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I want, but what You will.’”  (Mark 14:36 NKJV)

Abba was an ordinary family word of Jesus’ day. It conveyed intimacy, tenderness, dependence, and complete lack of fear and anxiety. Modern English equivalents would be Daddy or Papa.

No Jew would have dreamed of using this very intimate term to address God. However, Jesus always used this word in His prayers (Aramaic abba or its Greek equivalent pater), with the exception of His cry from the cross.

And Jesus instructed His disciples to use this word in their prayers as well. We are empowered to speak to God just as a small child speaks to his father.

-- David Jeremiah, quoted in “His Passion: Christ’s Journey to the Resurrection”


#4795

IN GOD’S FAMILY

“Those who are led by God's Spirit are God's children. For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, “Father! my Father!” God's Spirit joins Himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children.”  (Romans 8:14-16 GNT)

God has called us to join the family gathering and enjoy the benefits of that relationship. There are things God does in, for, and through His family that He does nowhere else! We, therefore, are not living life alone. Just as biological families must interact and spend significant time together, so our spiritual family must walk together in love. In God’s family we will receive strength, encouragement, and much-needed fellowship. We will grow in wisdom and maturity as we benefit from those who have walked with God for many years. We will find security in the family’s watchful care over our life and respond to its comfort and accountability. More than anything else, God our Father manifests His presence in special ways when two or three are gathered together (Matthew 18:20). When the family gathers, the Father is always present and active. He speaks to the family. He gives gifts in the family. He gives direction to the family. He gives His power to the family. Apart from God’s family a Christian will never be pleasing to the Father. When Christians are joined with the family, the Father is free to pour out His blessing into our lives, even as He continually does to all that are related to Him.

-- Henry Blackaby and Melvin D. Blackaby in “Experiencing God Together: God's Plan to Touch Your World”


#4630

THE TRINITY

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  (Matthew 18:19-20 NIV)

Our motivation for living the Christian life is the love of the Father. Our model in life is the example of the Son. The means by which we live this life is the power of the Holy Spirit.

-- The Alpha Course


#4612

GOD’S PRESENCE BRINGS PEACE

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear… " (Psalm 46:1-2a NIV)

When I was a young child, shortly after the death of my mother, my father took me on vacation. We stayed at a small hotel overlooking a harbor. One night a storm was brewing out to sea and I watched the black clouds rolling closer toward the shore. It began to rain as I got ready for bed. My father was downstairs talking to some of the other guests, when a huge flash of lightning, followed by a deafening clap of thunder, made the lights go out. Frightened, I began to cry, wondering where my father was.

Then I heard my father’s voice calling to me as he came up the stairs. “Don’t be afraid, Joan, I’m here. Everything is all right.”

The sound of his reassuring voice took away all my fears, and his presence in the room enabled me to sleep peacefully, knowing he would protect me.

-- Joan Winmill Brown in “The Shelter of His Wings”

#4336

GOD IN CHRIST

In the Gospels God spoke through His son -- Jesus… The disciples would have been foolish to say, “It’s wonderful knowing You, Jesus; but we really would like to know the Father.”

Philip even said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” (John 14:8)

Jesus responded, “Don’t you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you are not just My own. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work.” (Jon 14:9-10)  When Jesus spoke, the Father was speaking through Him. When Jesus did a miracle, the Father was doing His work through Jesus.

Just as surely as Moses was face-to-face with God at the burning bush, the disciples were face-to-face with God  in a personal relationship with Jesus. Their encounter with Jesus was an encounter with God. To hear from Jesus was to hear from God.

-- Henry Blackaby and Claude King, quoted in “His Passion: Christ’s Journey to the Resurrection”

#4300

ABBA, FATHER

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:15-16 NLT)

The ability of love to speak to the deepest places of our hearts never goes away. Have you ever noticed how people in love sometimes speak to each other in baby talk? It is immensely intimate and private – and it’s off-putting to a third party. If you do it, I wouldn’t want to hear it. But we do it because it is the tenderest language we know.

Jesus’ prayer life demonstrated this intimacy, because He called God “Abba,” an Aramaic word much like “Dada” or “Momma.” (Jesus spoke in Aramaic, and some portions of the New Testament are written in Aramaic rather than Greek.)  “Abba” was a Jewish child’s first word, because it was so easy to say. Somehow when Jesus was with God, the tender love that an adult offers to a child to give strength is what He received from His Father. It rewired His nervous system.

It does not stop there, for Jesus told His followers that they could have this same experience. This is why Paul wrote that by the Spirit we too can say, “Abba, Father.” This is what happens when we are praying…

God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children. (Romans 8:16 The Message)

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#4285

FINDING THE GIFT THIS CHRISTMAS

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the LORD.”  (Luke 2:11 NIV)

In your searching may you find the gift of the warm embrace and acceptance of the Father. In that embrace and acceptance may you find the gift of the freedom and the path of the Son. In that freedom and path may you find the gift of the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. In the birth of the Babe in a manger may you find the gift of the Savior of the cross.

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.”  (1 John 4:14 NIV)

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson


#4238

IN THE HAND OF YOUR FATHER

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

When our daughters were three and five years old, we took them to a hotel with a swimming pool. We had a long, stern talk about the importance of water safety and the risk of drowning.

My talk may have been a little too effective. As Laura was jumping into my arms while I was in the water, three-year-old Mallory slipped from a sitting position on the edge of the pool. She was underwater for less than a second, but when I pulled her up, she was sobbing. “I drowned!” she cried. “I drowned! I drowned!” From her perspective, it was terrifying.  From my perspective, however, it was actually kind of funny.

“No, honey,” I replied sympathetically.  “You didn’t drown. You were only underwater for a second. You’re fine…So let’s not tell Mommy about this.”

Mallory was never in danger. I knew that even though she didn’t. Her father was always watching her, able to scoop her out of trouble at a moment’s notice. I was what you might call “a non-anxious presence.”

Jesus knew that no earthly situation has the power to put you outside God’s care. You are always in the hand of your Father. So when death itself comes for us, it will be like Mallory dipping in the pool, and we will come up saying, “I drowned! I drowned! I drowned!” and the Father will say, “I had you the whole time.”

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want To Be”


#4156

HEARTS LONGING TO WORSHIP

Jesus said, "The time is coming -- indeed it's here now -- when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way."  (John 4:23 NLT)

Worship is an act of obedience of the heart. It is a response that requires the very core of who you are, to love the Lord for who He is, not just for what He does. Worship is more than singing beautiful songs in church on a Sunday. It is more than instruments and music. As a true worshiper, your heart will long to worship Him at all times, in all ways, and with all your life.

-- Darlene Zschech, Hillsong Church, Australia

#3820

CONFESSING HOW WE'VE FAILED

"Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; be to me a Rock of Strength." (Psalm 31:2)

When we take a tumble and cry out to God in our shame and distress, the psalmist says God "inclines His ear" to us. He bends over to listen. We say, "Oh, Father, I've failed! I've failed terribly. Look at what I've done!" And then God puts His arms around us, just as a loving earthly father would do. He then says, "I accept you just as you are. I acknowledge that what you have done was wrong, as you've confessed it to Me. Now, My son, My daughter, let's move on."

-- Charles Swindoll in Bedside Blessings

#3819

THE JOY OF THE PRODIGAL

I became aware that my whole life was consumed with doing rather than being. I knew what it meant to believe in Jesus, I didn't know what it meant to be with Jesus. I knew how to talk with Jesus, I didn't know how to sit still long enough to let Jesus talk to me. I found it easy to do the work of God, but I had no idea how to let God work in me. I understood soul-saving, but I was clueless about soul-making. I knew how to be busy, but I didn't know how to be still. I could talk about God, I just couldn't listen to God. I felt comfortable with God's people, but I felt uncomfortable alone with God. I was acquainted with the God "out-there," but I was a complete stranger to the God "in-here." I could meet God anywhere... except in my heart, in my soul, in my being.

It took only a few hours of silence before I began to hear my soul speaking. It only took being alone for a short period of time for me to discover that I wasn't alone. God had been trying to shout over the noisiness of my life, and I couldn't hear Him. But in the stillness and solitude, His whispers shouted from my soul, "Michael, I'm here. I've been calling you. I've been loving you, but you haven't been listening. Can you hear Me, Michael? I love you. I've always loved you. And I've been waiting for you to hear Me say that to you. But you've been so busy trying to prove to yourself that you're loved that you haven't heard Me."

I heard Him, and my slumbering soul was filled with the joy of the prodigal son. My soul was awakened by a loving Father who had been looking and waiting for me.

-- Mike Yaconelli, Youth Specialties

#3803

OUR HEAVENLY FATHER'S GUIDANCE

"For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."  (Philippians 2:13)

The guidance of the Spirit is generally by gentle suggestions or drawings, and not in violent pushes; and it requires great childlikeness of heart to be faithful to it.  The secret of being made willing lies in a definite giving up of our will.  As soon as we put our will on to God's side, He immediately takes possession of it and begins to work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.

-- Hannah Whitall Smith in Christian's Secret of the Holy Life

#3742