“The Bible is your heavenly Father’s personal love letter to you.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – November 18, 2024
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12
As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a child of God; by faith, you are a son or daughter who always has a heavenly Father who loves you. Like me, your biological father may have skipped out early in life, or your father may have been in the home but not emotionally present; you never really connected. Or, like me, you may have experienced an alcoholic stepfather for a season who had moments of inebriated, angry, and sometimes violent outbursts. Your earthly Father may have left you unloved, but you have a heavenly Father who sees you as His beloved. He loves you with a comforting hug when you are hurt, His calming peace when you are fearful, His expansive wisdom when you are unsure, and His welcoming presence when you feel alone. Intimacy awaits all God’s children who lean into the limitless love offered in generous heaps.
Jesus experienced this intimacy of dependence on His Father when He declared, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” John 5:19. As children of the Most High we have this same need for dependence on our heavenly Father to do what our Father leads us to do. Jesus further explains the wisdom given by His Father to know what to say in John 12:49-50, “For I did not speak on my own… so whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” Wisdom comes from your heavenly Father, who generously gives to all His children who ask. And with total submission to His heavenly Father, Jesus obediently defines His purpose, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38. As we rest in our heavenly Father’s presence, we joyfully submit to seeking and living out His will for our lives, not our small, limited ideas of our purpose for living. Your Father uniquely loves you!
Today, we have the benefit of seeing our heavenly Father in the life, words, and actions of Jesus. When we see Jesus, we see the Father, as Jesus reminds us in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” So, when we see Jesus patiently go into the home of sinners to break bread, we learn to experience hospitality as an invitation to love those different than ourselves. Or when our suffering Savior cries out forgiveness to His killers because of their ignorant and violent actions, He shows us the way to pray for love and forgive those who hurt us out of their pain and confusion. Because Jesus cares for the poor, we care for the poor. Since He healed and taught truth, we seek to be wounded healers who expose the deceitful lies of our aggressive enemy.
You also have a heavenly Father who has given you words of life from His words inspired by the Holy Spirit in Scripture. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” Paul assures us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The Bible is your heavenly Father’s personal love letter to you. Read it with a filter of love on your heart, and your heart will engage with the passionate heart of your Lover for you. Slowly reflect on each word and phrase; it will feed your soul with satisfying peace and comfort. Honestly, process the truth of your Father’s wise words, and you will gladly confess sin and turn from wrongdoing. Like an engaged bride, read over and over the loving words of your Lover and experience joy unspeakable! You have a heavenly Father who loves and adores you as His beloved child on whom His favor rests.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for being my loving, faithful Father. I am grateful for Your constant care and guidance, knowing I am cherished by You. Help me to trust in Your goodness and lean on Your strength daily. Let me grow closer to You, embracing Your love fully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Application
How does your heavenly Father give you peace and comfort?
Related Reading
Psalm 103:13; Matthew 3:17; Romans 8:15; James 1:17; 1 John 3:1
Worship Resource
Phil Wickham: Hymn of Heaven
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