Your Origin And Destiny

God’s Fatherhood

For anyone who chooses to relate to God the Father through Jesus as personal Saviour, the relationship can develop into something very close.

For example, Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6 show that Christians may address God the Father as “Abba”. This was an Aramaic term that could be used as a title of respect—”Father”—or “Dear Father”—or an even more personal term closer to the relational “Daddy”. It is a great privilege to be able to relate to God personally as our “Abba”. The scripture in Galatians 4:6,7 suggests this loving familiarity as a member of God’s own family is the intended emphasis:

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba Father.” So, you are no longer a slave, but God’s child.

On rare occasions, we find God speaking as a Father to protect a child from danger. I have been told a number of startling examples of this, but will consider just one in detail that involved Liz Lewis, a girl I taught in Africa and who was also a member of the Harvest youth group which Brenda and I helped run.

After school, Liz was camping in a game reserve in Zimbabwe when she heard what she took to be hyenas moving around the bush kitchen. She decided to do what she had done the previous night and get up with a torch to “shoo” them away. I will use her words written especially for me:

I was about to get up, my hand had already started pulling back the blanket when a quiet voice very clearly and full of authority said, “Do not move”.

I knew that it wasn’t me that said it so it must have been God.

Even though I heard the voice I still pondered on the thought of moving when the voice said again, “Do not move”.

By this time the animal, that I thought was a hyena, had walked oh so softly to the front of my tent. It sat on its haunches. I could see its shape as the fire was behind it. It was a lion, not a hyena. Boy, did I keep very still. It then got up and moved around the side of the tent to where my head was – I could hear this creature panting slowly. My heart was beating so loudly that I thought the lion would hear it and I felt very fearful.

Thankfully, the lion moved away.

Then the night was filled with screams and shouts. The lion had attacked Roy and Yvonne Jennings in their tent when Roy had banged the canvas to frighten away what he had also assumed to be a hyena. This movement was what the lion had been watching for, so it ripped through the canvas to get at its prey.

Thankfully the Ranger, Doug Evans, fired shots that frightened the lion off, but both Roy and Yvonne sustained serious injuries.

One thing I find poignant in Liz’s case is that she had no continuing contact with her earthly father, so this rescue by her heavenly Father was especially significant for her.

Who are you in actual fact and what is your significance?
Ponder God’s fatherhood for answers.