Abba Father (Daddy God).  By Sara Cain.

On this special day, God wants you to know that He loves you as His daughter and He invites you to call Him Abba, which is an Aramaic word that Jesus used to address his Father God.  It is a term reflecting the intimacy of their relationship.  When Holy Spirit is given to believers, those who are filled with Holy Spirit are given the privilege to address God as Abba.  The intimacy of the term can be described as like that of a little child climbing up into her father’s lap and feeling loved and cherished as the father wraps his arms around her.  I love this image of the little child in her daddy’s arms.  That is a picture of complete trust, contentment and well-being.

Not everyone has an earthly father to celebrate on Fathers’ Day, and for some it is a day to avoid because of loss, past trauma, or loneliness. But the good news is that all Believers have been adopted into God’s family and we are now God’s beloved children, and He is our loving Father.

2 Corinthians 6:18

And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Understanding God’s description as a loving father has always been easy for me because I was privileged to have such an amazing father whom I love very much because I always knew he loved me.  It is a passion of mine to share my daddy stories to illustrate what the Bible means when it says God is a good, good father so that people who did not have a father like mine can see what a good father is like.

When I was little our family and friends used to say that I lived in my daddy’s shirt pocket because everywhere he went, I went.  From the time I could walk I was following him everywhere or riding on his shoulders.  Wherever Daddy was, that’s where I wanted to be.  I loved being with him because I knew he loved me. He had my complete trust because he provided everything I needed and protected me from everything that would harm me.  He was fun and wise and generous.  Life was so good in my daddy’s presence.

Daddy had his job cut out for him!  I was the fifth of six children, and boy, did I love to explore.  My curiosity developed far too long before my good sense and he spent a good deal of his time rescuing me. The following is just one of many rescue stories I could share.

We lived on a farm and had a grain silo (grain storage tower) and a grain elevator, which was a type of machinery on wheels with a conveyor belt that looked a lot like the really long extension ladders on firetrucks.  Falling into a grain silo was certain death by suffocation.  When I was 3 years old, I had the bright idea to climb up to the top of the elevator to see what I could see.  I climbed up the elevator using the chain grooves for footholds all the way to the top.  I looked around … and froze in terror.  I didn’t even scream.  I was far too scared to climb down.  My mother came looking for me and nearly fainted when she saw me.  I must have been wailing for her to notice me up in the sky.  (Or she knew me very well.)  She screamed for my dad who came running and as soon as he saw me, raced up that thing like he was Spiderman, picked me up, and brought me safely back down to the ground.  He held me tightly to his chest and cried once I was rescued.  When I think of this memory, I picture the scripture about the good shepherd and the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7) and I imagine Jesus holding the one that was lost to his chest and rejoicing with tears.

My father’s rescues did not stop with just bringing me physically back to safety. As I entered my teen years and then adulthood, my adventures became less about physical predicaments and more about facing life’s challenges.  Each time I experienced a crisis, whether as an innocent victim or due to my own poor choices, he saved me from calamity and walked through the emotional fallout with me.  His love never wavered, and he never belittled me.  He patiently used these experiences to teach me truths about life, love, and our hope in Jesus.

John 1:12

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,”

As Believers we can address God as Abba, our “daddy God”.  Just as my daddy was continually coming to my rescue, so is God always looking out for you, ready, willing, and able to rescue you from whatever poses a threat to you.  Sometimes that is yourself and your own choices.  Sometimes it is feelings, thoughts, and falling prey to the lies of the enemy.  Other times it may be actual danger from other people or situations not of your making.  Whatever “attacks” you in any way, be it emotion, fear, people, situations, illness, whatever, there is nothing impossible for God to save you from and set you free.

But God is more than an expert first responder and bodyguard.  He is the One who knows us best, who loves us most, and values us most.  He is the original good, good father.

Just as I wanted to be wherever my daddy was, how much richer and blessed our life would be if we always longed to be in the presence of our Abba Father.  He loves us so much; nothing gives him more pleasure than lavishing his love on us and giving us good gifts.

I John 3:1

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! …”

His gifts are boundless.  The gifts he chooses are the best: peace, joy, comfort, wisdom, promises that He keeps, and so many more.  He also delights in giving us what we desire and ask for if our heart is aligned with his, and what we ask for will enrich our lives and the lives of others.  He loves us by showing great mercy and grace in our lives and showers blessings over us in small ways and in great big ways.

If you are a Believer, celebrate big this Father’s Day and all of them in the future, because you have the best Father ever!

Psalm 68:4-5

⁴ Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.
⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

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