DAY 7 | Faith Hacks
A Father Like No Other
"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children." Romans 8:15 (MSG)
Recently I received some emotional news - long awaited - but emotional. One of the first things I did was text my dad. He responded in his kind, compassionate way with reassurance and confident hopefulness. At the end of our conversation, I said "thank you, daddy." To which he responded, "For sure, darling."
I sat in that moment with the deep awareness that our heavenly father wants to be that very same way with us. He wants to be our first go to. We can run to him without fear. He will respond with compassion and reassurance. He is the source of all hope. Because of that, we can live an adventurous, expectant life coming to God with childlike faith in every moment of our lives - the everyday, the challenging and the extraordinary. It's the ultimate faith hack. He is our Father. We are his beloved children. Run to Him, He will be everything you need.
Prayer
Father, thank you, thank you, thank you that we belong to you, and you are the kind, compassionate Father our hearts have always longed for. Thank you for always waiting for us with open arms, no matter the circumstances of our life. We can always run to you with confidence knowing you will be there ready to embrace us and offer hope, peace, love, kindness, and complete acceptance. You are truly a father like no other. We stand before you and say, "What's next, Papa?" Amen.
Reflection
Your earthly father may not have reflected the true identity of your heavenly Father. What would it look like for you to begin to see your Heavenly Father as the compassionate, reassuring father you've always needed? What circumstance in your life have you been feeling fear about that you can now look at with expectant, childlike faith? Looking at the brand-new year ahead of you as a beloved child of your heavenly Father, what dreams can you now embrace with adventurous expectancy?