Our Father is always ready to listen

By Ted Johnson

A little boy ran down a long, carpeted hallway passing sentries standing at attention. He ran through a foyer passing secretaries who hardly gave his presence a second thought.

He opened a huge door and entered a room full of men in three-piece suits, deep in conversation. The little boy ran past them too, including a regal head of state talking in hushed tones to a man behind a desk.

The boy ran behind the desk and tugged on the sleeve of the man sitting there. The man turned to the boy and, with a smile, lavished on him hugs and kisses in what had become an almost daily ritual.

The boy's name was John-John, and he had come to see his father, U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The President had given his son open access to the Oval Office.

That's the relationship the most powerful man on earth had with his son. And that's the relationship your heavenly Father offers you. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are his children. "For you ... received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children" (Romans 8:15-16).

What a wonderful realization! By virtue of a new birth our relationship with God is like that between a parent and child. We can know God in a wonderful, personal way. It's so personal that we can address him as "Abba," an Aramaic term of special affection and endearment.

God wants your relationship with him to be full of love, affection and joy. And he makes it possible.

We all come to God enslaved to sin (Galatians 4:3), but "God sent his Son ... so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' " (verses 4:4-6, New Revised Standard Version).

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:18). Now we can approach the Father with praise, love and adulation for "how great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1).

God's forgiveness and reconciliation are gifts--given not because we are good or have pleased him, but because he is merciful and is pleased to give us his greatest gifts (Ephesians 2:5-8). Through the blood of Jesus we now have open access to the Father (Hebrews 10:19). He is always available, always ready to listen to our prayers.

You are special to God. He cares about you and is merciful to respond (Psalm 34:15-19). He is trustworthy, fully able to do what he has promised (Romans 4:21). Therefore, cast all your anxiety upon him for he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). What joy, comfort and relief that brings.

How blessed we are to have such a loving, trustworthy, caring, responsive, merciful heavenly Father. Why don't you go to him right now? He's waiting to hear you say, "Abba! Father!"

Ted Johnson pastors the Grand Junction and Durango, Colorado, churches.