Abba Father

When asked earlier this year, which part of the trinity did I grow the most in understanding/knowing: my answer was God the Father (followed closely by the Holy Spirit!).  But I really got to know God as my daddy this year.

When I would think about God in the past, I would think of this high, authoritative person who I couldn’t connect with.  Someone who I wanted to please out of fear…..  Out of fear of messing up or out of fear of being disciplined.  Yes, I know about grace and forgiveness….but I didn’t understand my identity as his beloved daughter….that when I accepted Jesus as my savior, I was grafted in.  When you graft something, you take something dead (like me in my sins) and place it into a slit of a living organism (the living God), and it receives the nutrients (the word, prayer, worship, etc) which helps it to become one with the organism.

I was grafted in before, but I wasn’t getting the nutrients I needed.  I wasn’t spending time in the word daily.  My prayer life was bad.  I worshiped, but it was more out of a routine.  But now!  I’m truly living. 

As I dug into the word more and more this year, God’s character was revealed to me.  As I prayed more over the big and small things, I saw God working and learned how powerful prayer is.  As I truly worshiped, I saw how refreshing it can be.  A three hour church service?  No worries.  I’m in God’s presence and it flies by.   I honor him and please him now not out of obligation or fear, but out of love.  When you really love someone, you just want to spend time with them, get to know them, honor them and trust them in all circumstances.   

We have a Father who really loves us with an unconditional and genuine love who wants to see his children also walking in his footsteps.  He wants to see his children thriving, alive, and blooming.   

My theme for this past year was: God is a good Father who gives good gifts.  I cannot tell you how many times this was spoken and prophesied over me.  It kept being revealed to me month after month after month by people who had never even met me before!  WOW! 

As I’ve been reflecting on this past year and my theme, I cannot get the song Abba out of my head (listen to it if you haven’t yet!). 

I have a Father who really loves me. He loves me in spite of all my mistakes and failures. He’ll never leave me or forsake me.  I felt this my entire race.  People have asked me if I was ever scared on the race, got homesick, or feared my life…and for the most part I can answer no.  And in those times where there was a slight hint of a yes, I knew that God had me. 

Even with going back to Africa…support raising again…not having a job… all the unanswered questions… I know my daddy’s characteristics: He is a good father who gives good gifts and he loves his daughter very much.  (He is already opening many doors in Africa! Stay tuned for another blog on that!)

Really take in these lyrics and know the love that your father has for you!

Abba Father loves me

Abba Father holds me

Abba Father keeps me

Abba Father takes care of me

Abba Father protects me

Abba Father directs me

Abba Father provides for me

He’ll never ever leave me

I have a Father who really loves me