I know the way we relate to our earthly fathers has a great influence on how we see God, our Heavenly Father. And you may not have had the kind of earthly father you wanted, needed, or deserved.
If that’s true, I simply want to assure you that your Heavenly Father is the perfect father. Everything you ever wanted or needed in a father you have in God, our Father. Romans 8:15 tells us: For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba Father.’ Abba is a term of endearment, like Papa or Daddy.
So, whether or not you had an earthly father that met your needs, your Heavenly Father says you are precious to him—valued, treasured, loved. And he rescues you when you cry to him. If you need to be rescued by God, here’s what I want to suggest:
First, embrace your worst fear, your deepest hurt.
Remember the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. Before he could be rescued from his dreadful life with the pigs, he had to embrace his worst fears and admit his terrible condition. What if his father totally rejected him? How embarrassing to crawl back and ask for a job as a hired hand. The people around would ridicule him, no doubt, and he must have feared being rejected by all the people in that town. He had to face all that, but it couldn’t be worse than where he was—starving and alone.
Many of our problems have been self-created because we try to avoid the pain of facing our fears and hurt. Can you identify with that? Maybe you’ve been finding all kinds of things to substitute, to try to mask the pain, and this can lead to addictions of all kinds.
Remember, you are precious to God, your Heavenly Father, and that means he desires to deliver you from whatever pit you may find yourself in.
