There are many people who appreciate what is commonly called, ‘The Lord’s Prayer’:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
I can remember, as a very young boy, standing by my school desk reciting that prayer each morning. Perhaps you can remember doing something very similar, or maybe learning to say the prayer at Sunday School or in a church service?
But of course, it was not until I was a little older, that I fully came to know what the truth, reality and wonder of what it was that I was saying.
To know the Lord God Almighty as Our Father Who art in Heaven is truly a most wonderful joy and privilege. And there are many millions of people worldwide who have that tremendous assurance of God as their Father, Who is with them at all times, comforting and strengthening them through all the difficulties that they are facing. But sadly, there are also millions of people who do not know or understand it is even possible to have a relationship with the Sovereign Lord God as their Father.
Because Almighty God is Holy, which we recognise when we say ‘hallowed be Thy name’, we are separated from Him by our own sin and rebellion to His will and His ways and therefore cannot have a relationship with Him; we cannot know Him intimately as ‘our Father’.
But God’s love is so great that He gave His only Son, our Lord Jesus to die in our place on the cross and take the punishment for our sins. The Bible tells us that ‘God made Him (Jesus) Who had no sin, to be sin for us’ … so that we might be forgiven and be brought into the family of the Lord God and be able to know Him and call Him our Father. How wonderful is that?
When we recognise that Jesus died in our place and acknowledge our sin and disobedience, and ask the Lord to forgive us, then we receive His total forgiveness and our sin is removed. God adopts us into His family, and we are called ‘the children of God’. Then we can know Him as our Father and have that intimacy of fellowship with Him which far surpasses any human relationship that we can have with our earthly father.
Right in the middle of these tremendously difficult and uncertain days through which we are passing, in all our sadness and grief, our loneliness and isolation, our fears and anxieties, maybe even feeling that all human contact with those we love has been severed or severely restricted, there is an amazing comfort and strength, encouragement and assurance in knowing “Our Father, Who art in heaven.”
Can you say,
“Yes, I know Him as my Father; I have that great assurance of His love and presence with me.”?
If you are not sure, God’s arms are open to receive you today, to forgive you for your sin when you come to Him in repentance and ask for His forgiveness because of what the Lord Jesus has done for you.
I pray you will know the certainty and joy of knowing ‘Our Father Who lives in heaven.’
Ron Brickman