The Father Hears Our Cry (Galatians 4:6)
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Calling God our “Father” today can lead to many misunderstandings. It’s becoming more common for fathers to abandon their families. 43% of children grow up without a father in their home. Of the remaining 57% of children, the father is often disinterested and uninvolved. So when we speak of God being our Father, we have to clarify what we mean.
Rather than compare God with earthly fathers, we have to contrast how He is different than stereotypical fathers today. God hears us when we cry out to Him. He makes time for us. God will never fail us. He will always protect us. He will never leave us. He has made his home within us.
“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are 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 a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” (Gal 4:4-7 NIV)
One of the first words that a baby utters is “Dada.” But even before this, the baby often says the Aramic word for “Dada,” which is “Abba.” There’s some debate today as to whether or not “Abba” literally means “Daddy.” Though it does appear to resemble child babble, and though today in modern Aramaic it does in fact mean “Daddy,” it was more commonly used 2,000 years ago to mean “Father.” Regardless of whether the word is looking to one’s dad from a perspective of youthful dependence or mature love, we are to look to God as our Daddy and our Father.
When we call God our “Father,” we are saying that He is our Master. We acknowledge that He is the authority over all things. We look to Him for guidance. We long to please Him in all things. But He is more than a Master. He’s family. He is always working for our good. He cares for us.
Notice the relationship between the Father, the Son, the Spirit, and us. We only call God “Father” because of the Spirit (of the Son) inside us. God the Spirit, having that close, intimate, eternal relationship with God the Father, directs our hearts to the Father through and because of the Son. We don’t technically have the Father in our heart. We don’t even have the Son in our heart. We have the Spirit of the Son within us, and it’s through Him that we cry out to God the Father. We cry out for mercy, and He gives us His grace. We cry out for strength, and the Spirit empowers us to We cry out for healing, and God’s mighty hand heals according to His power and wisdom. Are you crying out to God? Are you casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you? Are you not being anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letting your requests be made known to God?
The Father hears us when we cry out to Him. He will not give us a snake when we ask for a fish, or a scorpion for an egg (Luke 11:11-13). The application is not that God will give us everything we desire, but that when unbelievers ask for the Holy Spirit, the Father will give Him to them.
It’s interesting that in Matthew’s account of this lesson, instead of mentioning the Holy Spirit, it talks of “good gifts” (Matthew 7:11). We might say that Jesus used this same line of reasoning on more than one occasion, each time with a different conclusion, which is certainly possible. I think, rather, that the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift that we can ever receive from God. This is a far greater thing than heaven, life on this earth, or even eternal life. God Himself made a home in our hearts. Wow! If that doesn’t absolutely amaze you, you’ve got to think a bit more about who you are in relation to who God is.
Pastor Chris Huff has been with us since July 2009. He and his wife, Abby, have four children. Chris is originally from St. Louis, MO and even though he was raised as a city boy, he has a small town heart. Chris is all over the internet, so you can find him on Facebook, Twitter,… (read more)
