No Fear For God's Children

The other day when I was at Annie's, Ruh was sitting on the couch and Daniel was across the living room.  He looked up, saw his daddy, and started running to him as fast as his little legs could take him.   With the word "Daddy" spilling off his lips, he raced into Ruh's open arms.  It was a moment that melted my heart!  When Daniel saw his daddy he wanted to be with him.  There was no fear.  He only wanted to be gathered up into his father's strong, loving arms.

Paul wrote to the Romans that as God's children, we have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but we have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba!  Father!"

Those who are God's children have no fear going to Him.  Before salvation, all of us lived in slavery.  We were slaves to sin and lived in fear of judgment.  I'll never forget the look on an older gentleman's face to whom I was sharing Jesus.  When we are witnessing, we need to share the truth that judgment is coming.  Jesus says that if we reject Him and don't receive His sayings, His words will judge us at the last day.  If we accept His words that He is the only way to the Father, and believe in Him, we pass from death into life and we have no fear of judgment for our sin.  We are no longer under condemnation.  Unbelievers should be afraid of death, and most are.  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.  For the believer, the Holy Spirit frees our hearts from the fear of God's judgment and that is one way we know we are His children.  As His children we don't live in terror.  We've been delivered.  We come to the Father with deep emotion.  Jesus did in the garden.  He used the word "Abba," meaning "Papa" or "Daddy."  We can too.   It shows the tenderness, love, dependence, and intimacy we have with God.

Wish I had a picture of Daniel in his daddy's arms for you...but I don't.  Just use your imagination, and use it also for the day when you get to run into the arms of Jesus, and thank Him in person for making it possible for us to come to the Father without fear - just as a small child does when he sees his daddy and then runs into his strong, welcoming arms.