"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children."  Romans 8:15,16

 This is a passage that has often brought me great peace and joy.  The Creator of the Universe, the Great I AM, the Eternal God – has instructed His people to call Him, “Abba”.  For me, the translation of “Abba” as “Father” does not truly capture the meaning of the word.  A better translation would be “Daddy”.  The One that holds the orbits of planets in His hands, is the same One who wipes away our tears.  The same God, who’s powerful Word brought all of creation into existence out of nothing, also tells us “Do not be afraid”.

 The word “Daddy” conjures up images of warmth and protection.  A Daddy is the one a child will turn to when afraid, confident that there is nothing that Daddy fears.  He is someone who takes care of his children, provides for them, and lavishes his love upon them.  A Daddy is a problem solver and fixer of broken toys.  In a child’s eyes there is no place higher than Daddy’s shoulders, and when jumping off the step, Daddy will always be there to catch us.

While an earthly Daddy tries to live up to these expectations, they are not always successful.  This is not the case with out Heavenly Daddy.  He is the great provider and gives us our daily needs.  He is the great comforter and chases away all our fears.  Nothing happens to us that is not within His complete control and He has assured us that: 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28 

But Paul, the author of Romans, goes further to say: 

“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  Romans 8:32,33

Let us therefore, trust that our perfect Heavenly Daddy knows what is best for us and will always be there with us and that whatever trials we face, He will get us through them until at last we rest for eternity in His love.

"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

Psalm 46 is one of my favourite Psalms. It reminds us that in the midst of chaos we need to take time out and listen to God. No matter what is going on in the world around us - no matter the problems we have, or if the very foundations of the Earth give way, God is with us.

"God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging." Psalm 46:1-3

How often do we feel that everything is going wrong?  There are so many problems that we have to face in this life, how much better would it be for us to remember the power of God at these times; to remember that He is the one who created the Heavens and the Earth out of nothing, by the power of His mighty Word; that He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the price that was ours to bear; and that He is the one who knew us before we were even born.  Wouldn’t life be so much easier if we let go of our needless burdens and placed them all at His feet saying:  “You are in control of all these things.  I will trust in You alone.”  No matter how much we feel that things are out of control, they are still within God's control.

"Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire." Psalm 46:8-9

Jesus often took time out to seek solitude and pray to his Father. We should do likewise. Life is so busy, so fast paced that we often fail to stop and "be still". We need not only spend time praying to God but also listening for his answers. What God has to say to us is more important that what we have to say to Him.  So next time we feel that life is spinning out of control, that we so busy we barely have time to think, we should stop and “be still” and know that the Lord is God.