Abba, Father – December 28, 2023

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:6,7

Abba, Father

A couple of years ago, I was sitting in an airport waiting for a flight when I noticed a young child walking by herself. She had a stuffed animal in her arms, and she was looking frantically at the faces around her. After a quick scan, I didn’t see anyone who looked like they could be her parents. She was lost, and tears filled her eyes.

Thankfully, some airport workers noticed her and quickly came to help her. As they tried to calm her down and ask her questions, a concerned couple came down the concourse. They were calling a name, her name. When the little girl heard her daddy calling her name, her expression completely changed. Joy and relief filled her face. She ran into her father’s open arms crying, “Daddy!”

Like that little girl, you were once lost and separated from your loving heavenly Father. Left to your own devices, you would have remained that way–separated from your Father for all eternity.

But your loving Father did not leave you to your own devices. He sent Jesus to find you and rescue you from the sins that separated you from him. And because Jesus has found you, he changes your identity. You are no longer a slave but a child of God. And not just a child of God, an heir. And Jesus has an inheritance that is greater than you could ever imagine. Because Jesus has removed your sin, he promises you the riches of God’s Kingdom, an eternity spent in the never-ending love of the Father who invites you to call him “Abba, Father.”

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for finding me and changing my status. I am your child. Help me live as an heir of eternal life. Amen.