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Dad the Deity (1)
'For He is always thinking about you' 1 Peter 5:7
In the introduction to his book 'The Father Heart of God', Floyd McClung writes about a painting by artist Karel Appel. He describes the painting which depicts a tall, stick-like, lifeless monster with dark colours and harshness. The writer is saddened to learn the original title of the artist's work: My Father. He discusses, 'What kind of relationship did Karel Appel have with his father? Even more important, how [did] that affect his view of God? If Karel Appel believed in God ... did he believe Him to be a loving Father?'
Perhaps some of us suffer from Karel Appel's artistic eye. Bad experiences of unreliable parenting, scary father figures or absent dads leave their mark on us, making it hard for us to accept God as a perfect, loving Father. Too many of us imagine a monstrous overbearing father, short on patience, looking down on us.
Jesus didn't just call God His Father; He called God 'Abba'. Now, 'Abba' doesn't translate perfectly into English, but to get a feel for the meaning of the word, imagine a small child, looking up with love and saying 'Dada'.
Jesus often advises us to behave like kids when it comes to trusting in God, because he understands how much God loves us unconditionally, like a proud dad to a newborn baby. All theology and bad experiences aside, today Dada God wants to lift you off your feet with His big, heavenly bear-hugs.
written by Bob Gass
'For He is always thinking about you' 1 Peter 5:7
In the introduction to his book 'The Father Heart of God', Floyd McClung writes about a painting by artist Karel Appel. He describes the painting which depicts a tall, stick-like, lifeless monster with dark colours and harshness. The writer is saddened to learn the original title of the artist's work: My Father. He discusses, 'What kind of relationship did Karel Appel have with his father? Even more important, how [did] that affect his view of God? If Karel Appel believed in God ... did he believe Him to be a loving Father?'
Perhaps some of us suffer from Karel Appel's artistic eye. Bad experiences of unreliable parenting, scary father figures or absent dads leave their mark on us, making it hard for us to accept God as a perfect, loving Father. Too many of us imagine a monstrous overbearing father, short on patience, looking down on us.
Jesus didn't just call God His Father; He called God 'Abba'. Now, 'Abba' doesn't translate perfectly into English, but to get a feel for the meaning of the word, imagine a small child, looking up with love and saying 'Dada'.
Jesus often advises us to behave like kids when it comes to trusting in God, because he understands how much God loves us unconditionally, like a proud dad to a newborn baby. All theology and bad experiences aside, today Dada God wants to lift you off your feet with His big, heavenly bear-hugs.
written by Bob Gass
