Text- Matthew 6:9 – “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

In law and government, the term “de jure” is used to describe practices that are legally recognized, whether or not the practices exist in reality. For example if a king is sent on exile but not deposed from the throne, he remains king de jure, even though he is not the one in charge of the town’s affairs.

Beloved, is God your father indeed (de facto) or father de jure?

In reality, do you have a father-child relationship with God?

Do you live daily as if God is truly your father?

Do you relate with Him as a Child would his/her father?

Do you think of Him in light of His role as your “father who art in heaven”?

Romans 8:15 tells us, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."”

The Holman Concise Bible Commentary says, “Abba is the transliteration of the Aramaic term for father, implying great familiarity and intimacy.” In fact, it was a great offence in the ancient Hebrew culture for a slave to refer to his master as “Abba”; it was a choice word specifically reserved for Children.

You see, we are the children of God; we are not just servants having a master, but sons and daughters of “Our father who art in heaven”. As such, we have a right to the special connection and benefits only a child can enjoy from his/her father.

Yesterday, we talked about the Father’s love. Today, we will discuss the Father’s care.

Although it is quite normal for people to be selfish and to put themselves before any other individual, it is very unlikely for a real father (who genuinely cares for his children) to do so when it comes to his children. A man who is not willing to forfeit his very own comfort for his children’s sakes is a bad example of a father.

One of the attributes of God, our heavenly father, is that he cares deeply about us – his children. That’s why we are admonished in 1 Peter 5:7 to “cast all our cares on God because He cares for us.”

Ours is a generation where “I don’t care” attitude seems to be prevalent, so it sometimes seems to us as if nobody really cares about us. As a result of this attitude, we also are tempted not to care about anyone; even ourselves, and the important details of our lives and destiny. This is not supposed to be so.

Peter in the scripture quoted above reminds us that there is somebody whose care we can always depend on – He’s our father who art in heaven! Even in times of great travail and difficulty, we can rest assured that God’s care is unwavering.

Have you at any point felt like God didn’t care about you? Maybe you felt like He’s not aware of what you’re going through, or that He didn't hear your prayers. Perhaps, you even felt like God is so far away, or that He has forgotten you… Beloved, He has not. He truly truly cares about you!

See what God says in Isaiah 49:15-16, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”

PRAYER

My Father who art in heaven, please help me to be confident of your care in all circumstances as I daily live Jesus Name.

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