Daring To Call Him Daddy

You know those times when you’re going through such a crazy season of your life and you don’t really know what to do? And in those times you find yourself curled up in a ball crying out to God because it’s the only thing we know to do in those situations? I had one of those days the other day. I was about to pop I was so desperate for a God-breakthrough, for some this would be described as being totally beside myself. So I got home from work and I just wanted to enter the presence of God. I travailed in prayer, even when my mind was telling me don’t bother. About 45 minutes later, the Holy Spirit shouted, “DWAINE!!!!!! Remember a while ago you said that I could take everything away and you would be totally content with JUST ME? Well, I’ve taken one thing away and you’re falling apart. Find Me. Be satisfied with JUST ME.” At that point, I found myself totally lost in the Presence of God. The veil I had put over my own eyes was removed and I saw the God I could be totally and utterly satisfied in and with.

A little later, I drove to home group and we were discussing our Church’s vision for 2012. The key word for us, as a Church, this year is “RELATIONSHIP” and the priority relationship being with God. We spoke around that topic for a while, and while I was telling the group about my encounter with God earlier that evening, I was suddenly reminded of something a preacher had said in my early years as a Christian, which fired me up. He had said something along the lines of, “Work at your relationship with God, so that you can comfortably call Him “Daddy”.” Now you must understand, in those days I didn’t have a very good relationship with my earthly father, so the concept of calling this amazing God, “Daddy” wasn’t a very easy concept for me in reality,but I wanted to try. I prayed. I read the Word. I worshipped. Slowly but surely, I started to hear Him. It eventually got to the point where I would go into my room with a cup of coffee and have a coffee date with God and I would converse with Him like He was a person standing right in front of me. Eventually, I was able to call Him, “Daddy”. It was the most liberating feeling in the world. My God became my example of what a man should be. He became the Guy I could brag about to all the other kids - if I ever entered into a debate with small kids about who’s father was greater. I trusted Him more than anything or anyone, because I knew He wouldn’t hurt me and when ever I needed Him, He wouldn’t give excuses why He couldn’t be there. He would always be there.

Over the years, I slowly lost that relationship with God as adult life got busier. It took this last season I was in, to show me who God is to me. He’s the one I can always have a “Daddy-date” with, even if there’s no coffee or if I only have 5 minutes to spare.

1 John 3:1 (The Message)

“What a marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it - we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who He is or what He’s up to.”

As we see, the Word describes us with absolute certainty that we ARE the children of God. So this relationship where you get to call Him “Daddy” is available to everyone. I don’t think it was my constant travailing in prayer that got me to that point. Sure, it certainly helped but it was the revelation of both His love for me and the fact that I am a son that lead me to being able to comfortably call God “Daddy”. These revelations are so key in our relationship with God. The revelation of His love covers what He did leading up to and including Jesus having to die on a cross for us - sinners unworthy of His love. The revelation of our position as sons and daughters of God follows that. We have just got to continually open ourselves up to that revelation. His love will never be understood but it can be clung to and relied upon. His love for us will never make sense to us, but it can still be received. Our adoption as children is immediate, the moment we we receive that love and acknowledge Jesus as Saviour. There is nothing more you can do to earn your adoption. The only thing you need to do is believe that YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD.

Brother/Sister, I urge you to take hold of this assurance that you ARE adopted into the family of God. No matter what your relationship is with your earthly father, work hard at this relationship. There is no formula to it, you don’t have to enjoy your relationship with God in the same way I did. That’s my relationship with Him. Be you with God. Talk to Him, confide in Him, trust Him. Ask Him to show you more of His love daily, as you walk with Him. Dare to call Him Daddy!

If you’re reading this, and you want to share in this adoption, it is freely available for you. In fact, Jesus died, was buried and was raised again in power for YOU. Specifically so that you could be adopted as a son/daughter. His love for you, reader, is unending, unconditional. So much so, that He was willing to die in your place so that you could forever live in His righteousness and enjoy a relationship with Him. If you would like to be a part of this amazing family, pray this prayer:

Lord Jesus, I thank You that you died for me, so that I could be raised to Life again with You. Today, I put my faith in You as Saviour, Redeemer, Father and Friend. Thank You that Your blood was enough to wash me clean of sin forever, so that I may have relationship with you as my Father and trust You as Daddy. I put my life in Your loving and gracious hands today Father, and ask that You would lead me into everything You have for me, as Your son/daughter. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer and would like to tell someone, please I encourage you to email me on dwaine.hohne@telkomsa.net so that I can encourage you and give you something more to read, or tell a friend who you know to be a Christian. It is an absolute joy to me and to the host of Heaven today, if you did pray that prayer. But more so, Daddy is glad you came home.