A good, good Father

Now and then I find myself singing a chorus with the lines, “You are a good, good Father, that’s who You are . . . and I’m loved by You, that’s who I am.” These words are the nutshell version of my relationship with Almighty God and they always fill my heart with comfort and joy. God is my Father . . .

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:4–7)

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15)

Unlike many others, I’ve very little struggle with that father-child relationship. My human father was a good man, full of fun and yet a hard worker who took care of his children. We had nothing to fear from him. In fact, I never saw or heard him and my mother argue about anything. Our home was a safe place to the point that when I moved out on my own, I was shocked by a very different world.

Tozer says that Jesus is unchanging. He is never far away and unavailable, but close at hand and a living force in our lives, the Holy Spirit of God fulfilling His promises moment by moment. Tozer noted that we know this by faith, but I am happy that God gave me a good example in my dad so that I’ve known the love of a father in my experience.

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Today is my parent’s wedding anniversary. Had they lived, it would have been eighty years. I look fondly at their wedding picture and smile at the many happy memories of growing up in their care, memories that help me have a trusting relationship with my heavenly Father. Thank You Jesus for giving me the blessing of a good, good father who loved me and the remarkable and awesome blessing of knowing that You also are good, good — loving me even more . . . because that is who You are.