Food for Thought
'Food for Thought' is the free monthly, Bible-based meal for individual digestion or group feasting, and is a work of the Holy Spirit.
MARCH 2026 - OUR FATHER
"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father'" (Galatians 4:6 NIV).
What a beautiful and comforting thought -- God is our Father and we are his much-loved children! When we call someone 'Father' (or some equivalent word), it denotes that we have a special relationship with that person. We call God 'Father' because we have a special relationship with him, made possible through Jesus Christ (John 1:10-13).
Some Christians argue about the name we should call God. Several names for God are recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. 'El' (plural 'Elohim'), a broad, Semitic term for deity, was used by Jacob in Genesis 33:20 to refer specifically to the God of Israel. But 'YHWH' (Yahweh) is considered by most scholars to be the personal, proper name of the God of Israel. In Exodus 3:13-14, Moses asks God for his name, and God replies 'YHWH', translated in English to 'I AM' or 'LORD' or 'Jehovah' (an Anglicized form of YHWH). In the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament), the word 'Theos' translates the Hebrew words Elohim and YHWH. However, Jesus addressed God as 'Father', and he invites us to call God 'Our Father' (Matthew 6:9). God is referred to as 'Father' 170 times by the New Testament writers; for examples see Ephesians 1:2, James 1:27, 1 Peter 1:17, 1 John 3:1.
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1 NIV).
It is fitting that we should call God our Father:
* We have been born again as God's children and have received his Spirit (John 1:12-13; Romans 8:14-16; 1 Peter 1:23).
* We are the brothers (and sisters) of Jesus, and of each other (John 20:17; Matthew 23:8).
* We are God's family, and we have relationship and fellowship with our Father, with Jesus Christ, and with one another (1 John 1:3,7).
Jesus and the writer of Hebrews used the human father-child relationship to help us understand how God deals with us:
"Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:9-11 GNB/TEV).
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness" (Hebrews 12:7-10 NIV).
Yahweh, Jehovah, I AM -- the creator of The Universe and the source of all life -- he is Our Father!
"Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
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Please click the SUBSCRIBE button below, enter your email address in the box provided, and click the SUBSCRIBE button a second time. Thank you.
"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father'" (Galatians 4:6 NIV).
What a beautiful and comforting thought -- God is our Father and we are his much-loved children! When we call someone 'Father' (or some equivalent word), it denotes that we have a special relationship with that person. We call God 'Father' because we have a special relationship with him, made possible through Jesus Christ (John 1:10-13).
Some Christians argue about the name we should call God. Several names for God are recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. 'El' (plural 'Elohim'), a broad, Semitic term for deity, was used by Jacob in Genesis 33:20 to refer specifically to the God of Israel. But 'YHWH' (Yahweh) is considered by most scholars to be the personal, proper name of the God of Israel. In Exodus 3:13-14, Moses asks God for his name, and God replies 'YHWH', translated in English to 'I AM' or 'LORD' or 'Jehovah' (an Anglicized form of YHWH). In the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament), the word 'Theos' translates the Hebrew words Elohim and YHWH. However, Jesus addressed God as 'Father', and he invites us to call God 'Our Father' (Matthew 6:9). God is referred to as 'Father' 170 times by the New Testament writers; for examples see Ephesians 1:2, James 1:27, 1 Peter 1:17, 1 John 3:1.
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1 NIV).
It is fitting that we should call God our Father:
* We have been born again as God's children and have received his Spirit (John 1:12-13; Romans 8:14-16; 1 Peter 1:23).
* We are the brothers (and sisters) of Jesus, and of each other (John 20:17; Matthew 23:8).
* We are God's family, and we have relationship and fellowship with our Father, with Jesus Christ, and with one another (1 John 1:3,7).
Jesus and the writer of Hebrews used the human father-child relationship to help us understand how God deals with us:
"Would any of you who are fathers give your son a stone when he asks for bread? Or would you give him a snake when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:9-11 GNB/TEV).
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness" (Hebrews 12:7-10 NIV).
Yahweh, Jehovah, I AM -- the creator of The Universe and the source of all life -- he is Our Father!
"Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
To Subscribe
Please click the SUBSCRIBE button below, enter your email address in the box provided, and click the SUBSCRIBE button a second time. Thank you.