A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos

Today’s Bible Verse

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Sonship. And by him we cry “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15

Enjoying God’s Fatherly Love

Some days ago I was reading in the living room of our house when my three-year-old son Matias, who was playing there said, “Daddy.” When I turned to him, he said, “Did you know that I love you very much?” It was the very first time I heard such a spontaneous expression from him. This made me think about the way we can bring joy to the heart of our Father through our expressions of gratitude, love, and worship. Jesus was the only person who could reveal the heart of the Heavenly Father to us.

When Phillip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough,” Jesus asked, “Don’t you know me Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:8-9). There is no one more loving than our Heavenly Father. Jesus said, “The Father and I are one;” “My Father works until now, and I work too;” “I did not come to do my will, but the will of the Father.” Religious people felt so uncomfortable with Jesus that they said He was a pretentious man, and this was one of the reasons why He was persecuted and accused as a blasphemer, (John 10:36-38). Jesus could call God His father because He had His same divine nature. In order for us to call God Father, we need to be adopted as His children. This is accomplished through our faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13). Everything Jesus did on this Earth was the expression of the love of the Heavenly Father. The great compassion Jesus had for the sick was the same that the Father had. As expressed by the prophet Isaiah, “you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees,” like a baby who is being nurtured on the mother’s breast, God wants His children to enjoy His blessings (Isaiah 66:12, ESV). God promises to comfort those who have had to face difficulties. The restoration will be to such a degree that, He will be like a father who sits his child on his knees to show him love, our loving eternal Father and Lord of Glory will give much more than this to us.

Those who believe in Jesus can call God Father because:

• He gave us life when we were dead (Ephesians 2:1).

• He opened our eyes to transform us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to the power of God. Due to our faith in Christ, we receive forgiveness for our sins and an inheritance among the sanctified people (Acts 26:18).

• He who believes that Jesus is the Christ, that is the Messiah, receives the power to become a child of God (John 1:12).

• Since we are crucified together with Christ, and we do not live alone any more, Christ now lives in us (Galatians 2:20).

• The Spirit of God leads us (Romans 8:14).

• He made us partakers of divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Something to Think About

A woman in her 60’s came to me for counseling because of the great emotional distress she was in. During our conversation, I could perceive a profound void in her life due to a lack of fatherly love. I taught her that the Heavenly Father who is real wants to manifest Himself to our lives. While we were praying, she broke down and cried. Then she said, “When I was a little girl, my greatest desire was to take a walk in one of the most beautiful parks of our city. In those days, it was usual for girls to wear white gloves and for the father to take her hand while walking together. My father never did that with me. But now, while we were in prayer, my Father God came to me. He was wearing a very elegant suit, and I saw myself as that four year-old girl in a long dress and with white gloves. Approaching me, my Father God said, ‘Would you like to take a walk with me?’ ‘Sure,’ I said. He took my hand and we went for a walk in a large park. This made me feel like the happiest for a walk in a large park. This made me feel like the happiest woman in the world.” Upon leaving, she said, “This meeting was so very good for me. I now know who has always taken care of me.”

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing the Heavenly Father to me. Father God, thank You for showing Your love to me. I know that You love me because You gave Your beloved Son so that I can obtain eternal salvation. Thank You because, though I was not part of Your family, You included me, and I now belong to the best family in the Universe. Thank You because I am highly esteemed in Your eyes, and You brought me great comfort. You are a loving God, Amen.”

Declaration

I live safe under the love, the protection and the blessing of my Heavenly Father.

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: Lamentations 4-5; Song of Songs 8:8-14
• New Testament: John 7:25-36; 1 Peter 5:8-14