Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Have you ever counted the number of times in the Gospel of Matthew that Jesus speaks of God as our Father? This was almost a new idea to the people of His day--that we sinful mortals can think of God in this way, as our heavenly Father, someone near to us, someone compassionate, kind, loving, but also firm in discipline as a wise father is always firm in disciplining his child.
Can you guess how many times Jesus speaks of God as our Father? No less than 42! He says in chapter 6:6 that your Father sees you pray in secret; He hears you; and He rewards you in the open. Jesus assures you that your Father cares.
In chapter 6:26 Jesus says that our heavenly Father really cares about us, because He even sees when little birds are hungry and He feeds them; won't He care all the more for you? He knows what you need. In chapter 10:20 He tells us our heavenly Father will teach us what to say when we get into tight spots. In chapter 10:29 He assures us that our heavenly father notices when a little bird falls to the ground; how much more does He notice when we fall and He lifts us back up again?
Well, we could go on--42 times! What more could Jesus say?
But there is a problem that remains, the problem of our believing this. We are constantly being tempted to doubt that Jesus' Father is our Father, that He loves us as much as He loves His only begotten Son. We must choose to trust Him--even in the dark when everything seems to be discouraging. Jesus has taught us how to trust Him. Please do so today.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: Phone message 1994-3.
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