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| Billie Silvey |
| God My Father |
| July 2006 |
| Different people define God in different ways. Even the Bible uses a number of different names for the Deity, symbolizing the various aspects of his nature. It is consistent, however, on some basic aspects. The God who made the world and everything in it is not a distant, unapproachable God. Paul says he’s “not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our very being” (Acts 17:27-28). From the beginning, God has communicated with his creation. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets in many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ wants to have a relationship with us, and that relationship is like that of a father and his child. After his Resurrection, Jesus told Mary Magdalene, “I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (John 20:17). It may be that, because I’ve known God since I was a child, I always think of him as my Heavenly Father, perhaps to distinguish him from my earthly father. That’s the way I address him in prayer. But the distinction is more than a matter of words. My earthly father, Cecil Wesley, was strong in many ways, but he had his limitations. God doesn’t. My earthly father had an impressive degree of knowledge-- even wisdom. God is all-knowing and all-wise. My earthly father loved me very much. God loves me with a perfect love. When I pray, “Heavenly Father, . . .” it’s more than just a habitual form of address. It speaks volumes about a relationship that has been central to my life for half a century, a relationship I value and depend on, a relationship that challenges and comforts and sets a high standard for the other relationships in my life. With God as my Father, other humans become sisters and brothers, to be cared for and loved. That's a standard that could change the world! |
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