Yesterday was a very special day for me as it would have been my dad’s 94th birthday. He sadly died in 1980 but he leaves memories that cannot be taken away from me. My dad struggled being a father but he did the best he could and I do so appreciate the humour he gave to me which I wrote about in a poem when he died.

With the brokenness of our society, many children (and adults) may not even know who their dad is. Some have such fractious and limited experiences of a father that they grow up lop-sided and don’t know what it means to relate and have a father around.

I became very excited when I discovered that God is my ‘Daddy’ in every sense of the word. In Romans 8 of the Bible, the writer (Paul the apostle) talks about God being called ‘Abba’ the root meaning of which being ‘Daddy’. Abba, Father, is a colloquial term for Father God which makes God so intimate and near and indeed real. Closely related to this is God being a Shepherd to us – indeed Jesus was called the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep (us humans being likened to these animals who easily just follow each other around).

A good daddy looks after his children, providing for them, teaching them, disciplining them when necessary (and in the right way) and helping them through the struggles of life. He also plays with them, gives them treats, listens to them and loves them to bits in a whole host of ways. ‘Daddy’ God supersedes all earthly dads as His love is pure and so knowing of each of His children. He is super good and wants only good things for His children (anyone who believes in Jesus and trusts Him) so we can simply talk to our ‘ Daddy’ about anything and He will sort out the issues and dilemmas we face.

Children loved Jesus when He walked the earth and He certainly loved them even shooing his disciples away when they tried to stop the children coming to Him. Jesus was the human (though wholly God as well) form of Daddy God so we could see and appreciate who Daddy is today. Children in our societies may need to hear this truth magnified to them so that they can know the security and love of their heavenly Daddy. In Book 1 of ‘The Creation Series’ there is a picture of some children sitting on their father’s knee which shows graphically what a father can do. Our heavenly ‘Daddy’ is like that and wants us and each of our children to climb onto His lap and snuggle into His love. That’s what Jesus made possible – the connection between earth and heaven – the way became open for each of us to relate to ‘Daddy’ God who for so long (seen in the Old Testament of the Bible)  seemed distant and harsh.

I loved my daddy but I love my ‘Daddy’ more. Nothing can separate me from His love! (Read the whole of Romans, chapter 8 to find out more!).