“Do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.”

Matthew 23:9
Why does Jesus say, “Our Father in heaven”? Is heaven God’s physical address? Not exactly! Jesus tells us to address our Father “in heaven” to remind us that there is a difference between earthly fathers and the one true Father of all.

Our earthly fathers ought to point us to our heavenly Father. Unfortunately, sometimes they actually point us away from heaven. Either they weren’t there for us as we were growing up, or they were there, but we wished they weren’t. When our earthly fathers fail us, we may in turn reject our heavenly Father. We project the failures of our earthly fathers onto God, fearing that He will leave us or hurt us. We reject Him and His love.

But God is not like man. Our heavenly Father is perfect, faithful, loving, and completely committed to a relationship with us. He is also the King of the universe, and we must obey Him. That’s where the Holy Spirit comes into play, teaching us how to love our heavenly Father and how grow closer to Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you in this way.

 



Scripture Focus

Matthew 6:9-13

Insight

Don’t be afraid to talk to God. Yes, He is the High King of heaven. But you are His precious child, and He is your dad.

Bible In A Year

  • Exodus 29-30
  • Psalm 40
  • Luke 4

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