Our Father in Heaven

There was a cute little joke about a child who kept referring to God as “Art.” His mother mentioned to the Sunday School teacher that whenever he prayed, he would speak to this “Art.” When the Sunday School teacher asked the child about it, he said, “Well, you told us should pray to our Father, who is Art, in heaven.’” This child’s misunderstanding actually revealed a greater understanding of the personal relationship we should have with God.

Popular culture may sometimes paint a picture of God as “the old man in the clouds,” who is all-powerful, but completely disconnected from the human condition. This can create a very damaging perspective, which is so contrary to what we know about God from the Bible, His Holy Word.

Our God is not and has never been an absentee father! We know that from the very beginning, from the first verse of the first book of the Bible, God has been involved in every aspect of humanity. He created our world, He provided for all of our basic needs, and He desired a very personal relationship with us.

This is where the secular view of a disinterested God gets turned on its head. For those who buy into that way of thinking, it’s so hard to believe or understand why a spiritual being, who has so much power and authority, would even seek to associate with the common man. Yet for Christians—even though it is beyond our understanding to know why God loves us so much, we simply know and appreciate that He does. And the evidence is found throughout the Bible. 

When Christ taught the disciples how to pray, He began by telling them to say, “Our Father, who art in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9). When we approach the Almighty One, we can do it the same way a child nears his or her loving dad. Isn’t it good to know that we have a Father who is always near, who will leave or forsake us?

Happy Father’s Day!