(I corrected several path problems on August 29, August 30, and September 1, including these selections: Which Version?, Christmas, Images, Body of Christ Discovered, Hymn Midis, KJV Bible, and Spiritual Warfare. Sorry for any problems; please let know if you find others. - Gary)

In Abba's Arms

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Psalms 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. .7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice .8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Psalms 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

When our daughter Rebecca was old enough to walk and climb, one of her favorite things to do was to climb up in her daddy's lap and snuggle. Often she would go to sleep cuddled in my arms; at other times, I'd let her beat up on me, and show how strong she was. Those are some of the most precious experiences we all share as parents, whether mothers or fathers, but I can only speak for daddies. Yes, there were times to be firm, and times for discipline, but those were duties; cuddling was just fun.

Too often we think of God as just a stern disciplinarian, ready to punish us if we step out of line. The Father does chastise his children, like all good fathers, but what he really wants to do is love us. His very nature is love I John 4:8). The kind of intimacy and tenderness we share with our own children is only a shadow of what he desires for us. His heart's desire, as expressed by Christ in his high priestly prayer, is to be one with us (John 17:20-22). The church is his bride (Revelation 19:7-8); in human terms, there is no greater expression of love and tenderness than of a husband for his bride, or a bride for her groom.

When we think of fellowship with God, if we think of it at all, we think of prayer and praise. That's exactly it, but too often our prayer is a monologue, and our praise is a rote recitation of stock words and phrases. Prayer is conversation with God, a time of sharing our inmost thoughts and concerns with our best friend. That's not to take away from the reverence due the Father, but so long as we keep the right attitude toward God, there is every reason we should talk to him about anything and everything.

Fellowship in the Spirit is sweet. Those of us who have experienced that in the company of other believers know that. Our time alone with the Father should be no less sweet. Remember how it was when we first fell in love? (That has, admittedly, been a while for some of us!) We couldn't get enough of our lover's company, and we could hardly stand to be away from him or her, even for a few hours. At the first opportunity, we rushed to be with that special someone. That's the way our time with the Lord should be.

How long has it been since we wrote love letters? The whole Bible, someone said, is God's love letter to us. Sometimes, though, it wouldn't hurt for us to write one back. We might think of the Father as our closest, most intimate friend in all the world (as he should be), and of Christ as our lover (and he is - the lover of our souls). We could write as we would to our wife or husband during our courtship days, sharing the most intimate details of our hearts. If we can't really express in words how much we love him, we should say that. Try it, and see if you can carry that same attitude over into your daily fellowship with the Lord.

Our Father isn't just our Father in the good times, but in the bad ones as well. Just as my daughter used to come to me (and still does!) when she was hurt or afraid, we can do the same with our heavenly Father. Just as I was interested in all the details of my daughter's day to day life, so the Father is interested in all the things, big and little, that happen to us. He's never too busy to listen to everything we have to say, and doesn't mind being troubled by things others might consider trivial. He wants to hear about our triumphs and failures, our victories and defeats.

When we disobey, and we know in our spirits that God is displeased, that doesn't mean he has given up on us. He disciplines us, again, because he loves us (Hebrews 12:4-11). His longing is to restore us to fellowship with him; that is, after all, why he sent his Son to die for us. Even if we make the same mistake a thousand times, and repent a thousand times, and do it a thousand times more, he doesn't lose patience with us. He provided confession as a means to restore us to a right relationship with him.

So - when we feel alone or discouraged or defeated, or just need a hug, let's just crawl up into Abba Daddy's lap. The kind of intimate relationship that David had with him, and the kind of relationship that Jesus himself had with the Father, is the same kind he wants with each of us. We'll spend all of eternity in close fellowship with him, even as we reverence and praise him. Let's not wait!

Lord, gather me in your arms
Like a little child.
With words of love and gentle touch
In Abba's arms.


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Abba's arms - Abba's arms,
Just lift me up, and comfort me, in Abba's arms.
Abba's arms - Abba's arms.
Lord, let me rest in Abba's arms.

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Copyright 2008 by Gary W. Cavendish. This article may be freely used so long as due credit is given. For more articles, see the author's website at www.onlinechristianstores.biz. Gary is the author of 4 books, all Christian fiction, and numerous articles. He is a retired Federal employee, grandfather, and webmaster. He is available to write articles for a fee. Contact him at admin@onlinechristianstores.biz.

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