Discover Who Your Father IsShembull

DAY 5: Our Father Is Good

The goodness of Abba describes his essential nature that overflows in love and kindness towards his kids. Abba is tenderhearted, full of sympathy, and unfailing in his commitment to keep his redemptive promises.

God is good . . . all the time.

Abba’s goodness is eternal, unchanging, and uncaused.

You can trust him.

He is for you.

If you ever do doubt Abba is for you, look to the cross and the empty tomb.

But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

He is a refuge in the storms of life and a hiding place of grace where we are safe.

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. (Psa. 31:19 NLT)

The goodness of Abba is the catalyst behind his passion to bless us. He is so good that even people who have chosen to not follow his Son Jesus benefit from his goodness.

He never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts. (Acts 14:17 NLT) 

This goodness is also the impetus behind his passion to redeem all of humanity and creation itself.

It is the goodness of Abba that sent Jesus to the cross.

It is the goodness of Abba that raised Jesus from the dead.

It is the goodness of Abba that gave us a new birth and filled us with infinite worth.

It is the goodness of Abba that calls you a loved, accepted, forgiven, pure, clean, and holy child.

It is the goodness of Abba that convicts you of your sin when you are off the path of life.

It is the goodness of Abba that whispered, “You are loved. Do not do it. I have plans for you,” when you were thinking about killing yourself.

It is the goodness of Abba that reminds you, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” when your spouse abandons you for another.

It is the goodness of Abba that watches your dreams end and carries you in the midst of them to recognize his blessings.

It is the goodness of Abba that will take your worst pain and give your life its greatest purpose.

Our Father in Heaven . . . When we pray, “Our Father in heaven,” we are doing so much more than just asking for stuff. We are entering into the very heart of God. We are diving deeper into his character, his redemptive story, his love, and his sacred purpose.

God wants us to know him. Yahweh is loving, sovereign, holy, and good. It is impossible to trust someone you do not know. And when we get to know him, through his Son and by the Spirit, our allegiance to him becomes a joyful act of worship. As we pray “our Father,” his story becomes our story. We experience his covenantal faithfulness to create a loving, beautifully diverse family in his Son. As we pray “our Father,” we discover that the most important thing in life is to leverage our lives so others can experience Abba’s love in Christ Jesus.

We hope this plan encouraged you. Learn more at goddoyouhearme.com.