For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. – Romans 8:16 NLT
When I was younger, I would always call my mom “Mommy” and my dad “Daddy.” I remember my friends used to call their parents Mom and Dad. As I grew, I privately thought, I will need to call my parents Mom and Dad one day. My “mature” side wanted this transition. Still, my younger “son” side enjoyed the innocence and intimacy of calling my parents Mommy and Daddy. I remember the weird yet mature feeling of finally saying, “Mom and Dad.”
As great as my parents are, God has revealed Himself as an amazing Father in three encouraging ways.
First, God is mighty. My dad was a teacher and a mechanic. He had a burly chest and the most muscular fingers. I used to say he could flex his index finger because he had biceps in his fingers. He was a strong dad who even led me to Jesus. But God has revealed Himself as the ultimate Father who is powerful. Job 36:5 says, “God is mighty…” and in Psalm 24:8, the psalmist writes, “The LORD, strong and mighty…” Because Our God is powerful, He can handle any problem we have.
Second, God is our Father. He chose to reveal Himself to us this way. Indeed, “For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16 NLT). To show the intimacy of God, He is even called the Father of the Lord Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:3). Because God the Father enjoys incredible familiarity with the Son, we can enjoy intimacy with the Father.
Third, Jesus explains what God is like. I love the verse in John 1:18 where John says that Jesus is “near to the Father’s heart” and He “has revealed God to us” (NLT). Because Jesus became flesh and made His dwelling among us, “...we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son” (John 1:14 NLT). The way to know God the Father is to know Jesus. Let’s model the love, grace, and compassion of Jesus so that we might be like God our Father.
Dig Deeper
- In what ways do you find your faith floundering because you have forgotten how mighty God is?
- The Spirit testifies that we are children of God and He is our Father. Ponder these truths. How can they encourage you? Help you feel secure?
