Dad!

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, - Romans 8.15-16

We use a lot of names and titles for God. God is our Rock. He is our Fortress. He is our very present help in time of trouble. He is Almighty God. He is my Salvation. He is the Holy One who inhabits eternity. He is my Shield. And on we could go. 

All of these are of amazing theological and practical importance. Praise God for each each and very one of them. Praise God for all that he is.

But He is also our Heavenly Father.

If that was our only relationship name it would be enough. For me, born an enemy of God to be able to call Him ‘Father’  would be enough. I would be privileged beyond measure.

But it goes even a little further than that. God has adopted me into His family. Adoption is special in so many ways. Everyone is naturally born to a father and a mother. Natural birth is not always a choice. Sometimes it is just the opposite to some people. It can be the last thing they would have wanted.

But adoption is something a family choose. It is an act of love and choice and openness. In adoption the parents choose to make an ‘outsider’ a part of the family. And that is what God did for us. He chose to adopt those who sin against Him.

We are now free from fear, because we not only have a Father, we have a dad. The word ‘ Abba’ is a transliteration of what Hebrew children called their daddy. It means that we have a papa. We have a daddy. We have a dad. There is a closeness and a preciousness that goes beyond just being a father. Anyone can be a father. It is special to be a dad.

And yet, despite our sin and rebellion and self-centredness when God adopts us He becomes our dad.

Praise God that He has adopted me. Praise God that He is my Heavenly Father. And praise God He is my dad.