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Just A Thought: God's Favorite Name

April 23, 2017 0 comments

Posted in: Just a Thought

Of all His names, Father is God’s favorite. We know this because it is the one He used most. 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 prayer he proclaims, “Father, I give you my life.” (Luke 23:46) God loves to be called Father. After all, didn’t Jesus teach us to begin our prayer with the phrase, “Our Abba?”
Abba was an everyday word. A homely family-word. The equivalent would be Poppa, Daddy or Dad. It is right for you to call God your Creator - Your Master - your King, Lord and Sovereign God, He is! But if you want to touch His heart, call Him by the name He loves to hear. Call Him Abba. Call Him your Father.
Some time ago I was at the mall. It was crowded. I heard the voice of a small child. “Daddy!, Daddy!” A young girl, four or five years of age had become separated from her family. She was afraid. “Daddy!, Daddy!”
From out of nowhere, her father appeared. He heard his daughter’s cry. I watched closely; I wanted to see what a daddy (an abba) would do. He hurried over to her. Nothing was going to stop him from reaching his daughter. He immediately lowered himself to her level. He held her close. He then looked at her and brushed away the tear. He gave her a firm word. He then stood and lifted her up. He swung her up in his arms and she wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist. He held her and then they were gone.
That is what an abba does. Isn’t that what God has done for us? When we wandered away, He found us. When He found us, He lowered himself to our level. He brushed away our tears. He gave us a word of correction. He picked us up and He is leading us home. You have an Abba. I know what some of you are thinking. Yeah, God does that for some people. Not me. I’m just ho-hum. I’m just average. I’m just measly old, little old, common, ordinary me.
Really? Because I read something else. I read that your Abba “has blessed [you] with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3) I read that you are: God’s child (John 1:12); Christ’s friend (John 15:15); a member of Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27); a saint (Ephesians 1:1); redeemed and forgiven of all your sins (Colossians 1:14); complete in Christ, lacking in nothing (Colossians 2:10); free from condemnation (Romans 8:1–2); God’s coworker (2 Corinthians 6:1); seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6); God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10); a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20); adopted into God’s family (Ephesians 1:5); born of God, and the evil one cannot touch you (1 John 5:18); You have been bought with a price… you belong to God (I Corinthians 6:20) You cannot be separated from the love of God (Romans 8:35).
It seems to me that your Abba (Daddy) has high affection for you! Why? Because you are a child of God. And you have a good Father…a good, good Father.

 

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