KNOWING HIM: THE FATHER FIGURE
I remember being a new Christian, having my new study bible in front of me with an excited heart to learn all the attributes of God.
I began to read up on how He is Lord, sovereign. All the characteristics of who He is to us. The Almighty One, who is all powerful and with supernatural strength and wisdom. Scripture then goes on to identify God as a Heavenly Father.
I hesitated at this thought.
Unfortunately like many other people, the term and meaning of father has not always projected something positive in my life.
When we have a negative experience of a father in our lives, it is easy to think God would be similar.
But He is in fact far from it, I just had to find this out for myself.
It took prayer and study into the word to separate what I knew about fathers based on what I experienced, to the Father that God is, and the Father that He wants to be in our lives.
I thought to myself how can I connect to Him that way?
I had to push past what I thought He would be like and spend time with Him: to talk to Him about what hurt has been stored in my heart and mind because of what I experienced and didn't experience in my childhood.
Larry Murray writes beautifully on what it means to be a child of God which you can read here:
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/how-to-become-a-child-of-god/
Not only does He adopt us as His own, but God’s patience and kindness never wears out, as is His ability to forgive without limits. Psalm 103 in verse tells assures us:“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” That means your Heavenly Father also never holds a grudge or brings up your past.
Truth is a relationship with God is unlike a relationship that can be compared to any other, especially the father figure that we had on earth. Love from the Father is an agape love, relentless, a love where your Father went to hell and back for you. He sacrificed what was dearest to Him - to pull you close. This is who our Father is.
And it is my prayer and hope today that you get to know and experience Him for who He really is.
Stay encouraged,
Chloe @ She Reformed x
I began to read up on how He is Lord, sovereign. All the characteristics of who He is to us. The Almighty One, who is all powerful and with supernatural strength and wisdom. Scripture then goes on to identify God as a Heavenly Father.
I hesitated at this thought.
Unfortunately like many other people, the term and meaning of father has not always projected something positive in my life.
When we have a negative experience of a father in our lives, it is easy to think God would be similar.
But He is in fact far from it, I just had to find this out for myself.
It took prayer and study into the word to separate what I knew about fathers based on what I experienced, to the Father that God is, and the Father that He wants to be in our lives.
I thought to myself how can I connect to Him that way?
I had to push past what I thought He would be like and spend time with Him: to talk to Him about what hurt has been stored in my heart and mind because of what I experienced and didn't experience in my childhood.
"Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation." (Psalm 68:5)
Larry Murray writes beautifully on what it means to be a child of God which you can read here:
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/who-is-god/how-to-become-a-child-of-god/
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are" (1 John 3:1)
Not only does He adopt us as His own, but God’s patience and kindness never wears out, as is His ability to forgive without limits. Psalm 103 in verse tells assures us:“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” That means your Heavenly Father also never holds a grudge or brings up your past.
Truth is a relationship with God is unlike a relationship that can be compared to any other, especially the father figure that we had on earth. Love from the Father is an agape love, relentless, a love where your Father went to hell and back for you. He sacrificed what was dearest to Him - to pull you close. This is who our Father is.
And it is my prayer and hope today that you get to know and experience Him for who He really is.
Stay encouraged,
Chloe @ She Reformed x
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