Isaiah Pauley
  • Home
  • Bio
  • BLOG
  • Some Sermons
  • Home
  • Bio
  • BLOG
  • Some Sermons

Knowing God as Father

7/24/2020

Comments

 
Picture
I’m getting married in less than five months, and as a young man, I’ve felt the pressure to become independent faster than I had originally planned. Each day reminds me of how dependent I have always been on my dad. As a child, I never worried about going hungry. I never worried about losing my home. I never experienced the electricity or water being shut off. But now that I’m paying most of my own bills and looking for a home of my own, the idea of dependency comes to mind.
This season is teaching me to appreciate my earthly father’s provision. But it’s also teaching me to trust my heavenly Father’s provision. It has proved to be a difficult journey, but as I was studying this past week, I was struck by the reality of God being my Father.

Jesus says, “‘If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!’” (Matt. 7:11 ESV).

I guess what I’m saying is that my Father will take care of me. He will provide all I need to live the life He has called me to live. And it gives me peace. After all, He has adopted me into His family.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (Eph. 1:3-5 ESV).

God has adopted me as His son. And it amazes me to consider the beauty of this truth. There is nothing about me that should attract Him. There is nothing I have done to deserve His love. But through Christ, I can know Him as Father. And if He is my Father, I can trust Him to provide. I can trust Him to love me, care for me, and never leave my side.

I love what Jesus says, “‘But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you’” (Matt. 6:30-33 ESV).

I just find myself grateful for a Father who loves me enough to adopt me as His own and provide all I need to serve Him faithfully.

Do you know God as your Father? Or, when you think of God, do you think of someone who is unconcerned with the daily affairs of your life?

If you don’t know God as Father, there is hope. You can know Him that way. But only through Christ.

“In him [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1:11-14 ESV).

You see, only in Christ do we find the joy of knowing God as Father. And when we come to Christ with a repentant heart, willing to surrender our lives to Him, we find a relationship more beautiful than anything this world has to offer.

And, as Paul writes in Ephesians, those who know God as Father have an inheritance. We are co-heirs with Christ (see Rom. 8:17). We are under His care, and we have nothing to fear.

I hope you can join me in thanking God for being such a great Father. Both now and forever.
Comments

    Categories

    All
    Calling
    Christmas2019
    Church
    Classics
    Colossians Series
    Confidence
    Direction
    Discipleship
    Discipleship Series
    Doubt
    Ephesians Series
    Esther Series
    Expectations
    Failure
    Faith
    Fear
    Forgiveness
    Grace
    Grief
    Hope
    Identity
    Joy
    Justice
    Life
    Love
    Marriage
    Origins Of Christ
    Passion
    Peace
    Perspective
    Philemon Series
    Prayer
    (Re ) Series
    Rest
    Sacrifice
    Salvation
    Sin
    Student Ministry
    Surrender
    Thanksgiving
    Trust
    Work
    Worry
    Worship

    Archives

    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

Proclaiming the Word through writing since 2014.

© 2022 Isaiah Pauley