Happy Father's Day!

 Today's Truth "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters," (2 Corinthians 6:18 NIV). Friend to Friend One of my favorite retreat topics is from my book, 5 Dreams of Every Woman...and How God Longs to Fulfill Them. In this book I talk about five dreams every little girl has: to have a daddy who loves her, to be a bride, to be a mommy, to be beautiful, and to have a best friend. For most of us, we get to a point in our lives and realize life has not turned out the way we thought they would, especially in those 5 areas. But the good news is, God has a wonderful plan for you! In talking to women all across the country, I have seen eyes fill with tears when I talk about the dream of having a daddy who loves me. But the tears are not for me, they reveal the longing in their own hearts. Butterfly Kisses is a song by Bob Carlisle that climbed the charts in 2000. It received international recognition in both the Christian and Secular music industries. The song was about the tender love between a father and his daughter, starting from her birth to her wedding day. Mr. Carlisle said, "I get a lot of mail from young girls who try to get me to marry their moms. That used to be a real chuckle because it's so cute, but then I realized they didn't want romance for mom. They want the father like the one that is in that song, and that just kills me." In the Old Testament, God has many names. He is Elohim – the Creator, El Elyon – God Most High, El Roi – the God who sees, El Shaddai – the All-Sufficient One, Adonai – the Lord, Jehovah – the Self-Existent One, Jehovah-Jireh –the Lord Will Provide, Jehovah – Rapha – the Lord who heals, Jehovah—Shalom – the Lord is peace, Jehovah-Raah – the Lord my Shepherd, and many more. His covenant name with the people of Israel was I AM. J.I. Packer, in his book, Knowing God, said, "He is: and it is because He is what He is that everything else is as it is." In the New Testament, Jesus introduced a new name for God – Father. It is the name that Jesus referred to more than any other and the name that He invites us to use to address the Creator of the Universe. Just stop and think about that for a moment. The God of the universe who created the heavens and the earth, who always has been and always will be, who is all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere at once – that same God invites you to call Him - Daddy! When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He said: But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name....' (Matthews 6:6-9 NIV). Packer went on to say: "For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new and better than the Old, everything that is distinctly Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up in the knowledge of the fatherhood of God." All other religions demand followers to worship created beings (Mohammad, Buddha), but Jehovah the Creator, the great I AM, invites us to crawl up in His lap, become His child, and call Him Abba, Daddy. He said, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters," (2 Corinthians 6:18 NIV). This Father's Day, no matter what your situation may be with your earthly dad, always remember that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you dearly and has your name written on the palm of His hand. Let's Pray Dear Lord, Thank You for being a Father who loves me as His precious child. How amazing to think that the God who created the universe and all it contains invites me to be His child and call Him Abba, Father. I do not take this invitation lightly, but cherish
it with all my heart. In Jesus' Name, Amen.