"Abba! Father!"

Monday, February 24, 2014 (6:46 a.m.)

“Abba! Father!”,

Yesterday our pastor recommended we approach You as “Daddy”. I'm confessing 'awkward' right now. Do I really know You as Daddy?

(7:27 a.m.)

All this time spent reading and wondering and still I don't have an answer.

Father? Yes. Revered. Esteemed. Loved. Mostly at arms length. Don't get too close. Don't trust too much. Well, that's just ridiculous! Change my mindset Father. See? There it is again. “Father” comes naturally to me. “Abba”? Not so much.

So. Here we are. I'm searching Your Word. John 20:31 reminds that by believing... Hm, “by believing”. Here I gasp. Shudder to think. Do I really believe? I mean REALLY believe what I read?

And here is the proof. “A truth not practiced is a truth not believed.” Do I practice being Your daughter? Perfunctorily! I go through the motions. I call You, “Father”. “Blessed Father”. “Father God.” “Most Holy”...

But “Daddy”? “Abba! Father!” I would have to TRULY believe myself to have been adopted by You for that to happen. TRULY believe that I am Your daughter. Your heir. ALL the things Your Word says come from truly believing “that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31a Worldwide English).

Father, (see?) right here I am thanking You. WHOLEHEARTEDLY thanking You for the opportunity to have the definitions of words spelled out for me. Thank You for the availability of various Bible translations.

Looking up the meaning of 'perfunctorily' I felt my soul pierced as I chose to agree with the picture it painted of me. “Performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial; lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent or apathetic”. Ouch! What happened to the woman who once flew here in the mornings because she just was so excited and eager to tell of all You are?

I have NOT been living as an heir! I have been coming to You as much more of a shirttail relative. Perhaps even as a red-headed stepchild. Blessed Father (again I notice) I want to change my approach.

Work in me. Empower and enable me to see me as You do. I want to call You Daddy. I want to mean it when I say, “Abba! Father!” I want to know Jesus as my Brother. Even more readily available to me as the lifelong big brother You provided me here on earth.

Abba! Father! The second part to the verse from John mentioned above says, “And when you believe in His name, then He will give you power to live” (20:31b). I want that power! Not my own. Yours! His!

Abba, Father, The Voice tells me this of Romans 8:14-16, part of the section we read yesterday. “If the Spirit of God is leading you, then take comfort in knowing you are His children. You see, you have not received a spirit that returns you to slavery, so you have nothing to fear. The Spirit you have received adopts you and welcomes you into God's own family. That's why we call out to Him, “Abba! Father!” as we would a loving daddy. Through that prayer, God's Spirit confirms in our spirits that we are His children.”

Silly as it seems, the closest thing I can link it to right now is when Orphan Annie went to live at Mr. Warbucks' mansion. She thought she would be cleaning and working to earn her keep. When it became abundantly clear to her that she could remain there as his daughter she asked permission to call him Daddy Warbucks.

I have that freedom with You. Your Word stresses it again and again. “Because you are God's children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into us to call out, 'Abba! Father!'” (Galatians 4:6).

Oh and now this! 1Thessalonians 5:19 said in so many different ways!

“Do not hold back the work of the Holy Spirit.” (New Century Version)

“Do not extinguish the Spirit.” (New English Translation)

“Don't put out the Holy Spirit's fire.” (New International Reader's Version)

“Do not quench the Spirit. (New King James Version)

“Do not try to stop the work of the Holy Spirit.” (New Life Version)

“Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.” (New Living Translation)

“Don't turn away God's Spirit.” (Contemporary English Version)

Abba! Father! Keep working in me. Through me. By me, for me, with me. I want to live as though I truly believe I am Your daughter. Make it so Dearest Daddy, make it so! I love You. I thank You. Make it obvious to those around me! Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(775 words ~ 9:02 a.m.)