The Character of Abba Father’s Heart – Loving

Understanding our Father’s heart means we are not afraid to be totally dependent upon our Abba, we trust him as a child trusts his daddy. Perhaps as a child you learned this timeless song at church. It goes like this: Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so; little ones to Him belong, they are week but He is strong….”

I’d like to take the liberty to change a few words of this great song to: “The Father loves me this I know, for the Lord Jesus tells me so…yes the Father love me, yes the Father loves me, yes the Father loves me, for Jesus tells me so.”

In the beginning man was created in a perfect relationship with God the Father, however, that was distorted in the Garden of Eden when man chose life apart from God. This caused things to go in a different direction and left a huge vacuum in human hearts. And that vacuum is waiting to be filled by the Father’s love, a love that is true and complete.

The Father’s plan was to reintroduce Himself and His great love for his children through His only Son Jesus. Jesus said again and again that He came to reveal the Father, “anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” John 14:9. Truly the words of the “new song” are one of the greatest theological truths of the Bible. Jesus came into this world to reveal the love of his Father (John 3:16).

I would be so bold to say every major man-made crisis in our world (Isis, terrorism, corruption in governments, addictions, prisoners, the breakdown of families, etc.) can be linked to the lack of comprehension of God’s great love. When we try to live apart from His love we are driven by fear and insecurity, which leads to internal and external chaos.

The Character of Abba Father’s heart flows from His eternal heart of love for His children. As John says “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we can be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1). Jesus came to show us the “lavish” love of a Good Father God.

I want to challenge you to join me this week in reading John 14-17 each day and underline the word Father each time it is used by Jesus. I also want to challenge you to join me in singing the words to the familiar song! “Yes, the Father loves me; Yes, the Father loves me, for Jesus tells me so…. May you know God’s great love for you!