When Jesus knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane, contemplating the extreme sacrifice he was about to make on the cross, he was overwhelmed with pain and sorrow and cried out to his Father for help: “Abba, Father,” he said, “Everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36). In that excruciating moment, he went to his Father for comfort, strength, and support.

“Ab” or “Abba” is the Aramaic word a child would use to address his father intimately. We would translate it as “daddy.” It implies tenderness, attachment, comfort, protection, and security. Jesus, God in human flesh, went to his Daddy for tender comfort in his moment of great pain.

Romans 8:14-16 tells us we are the adopted sons and daughters of God. Because of our adoption, we do not have to live in fear as slaves to sin or to man or to our circumstances. Instead, we can live boldly, knowing we are God’s children, loved and secure in our adoption. We too can call God “Abba.”

Some people have trouble viewing God as their “daddy.” They may have biological fathers who are not loving, tender, or comforting. Instead, they may be abusive, distant, harsh, critical, rejecting, or unloving. They may have had religious teaching and experiences that presented God as a harsh taskmaster who demands perfection and obedience. Their life circumstances may be difficult, and in the midst of those circumstances, God may seem absent and uncaring. They question why a God of love has allowed the pain.

God is your “Abba Daddy,” whether or not you realize it or experience it. You can begin to accept by faith that he is that parent to you. In your brokenness, weakness, and pain, you can go to him for comfort and expect to receive tender care. Nothing in Scripture promises that our lives will be easy or pain-free. In fact, Romans 8:17, which follows these verses about our adoption, tells us that as God’s adopted children, we will share in Christ’s inheritance and suffering. So God’s tender care as our “Abba Daddy” will be our comfort and security in those difficulties. It will allow us to have courage and not give in to fear, regardless of what we face.

By Karla Downing

Relationship Devotional Prayer

 
“Abba, I belong to you.”

Brennan Manning, an American Franciscan priest and author, encouraged people to pray this simple prayer often throughout their day to remind them of God’s ever-present comfort and care.

Relationship Devotional Challenge

• Step out in faith and approach God as your “Abba Daddy,” expecting to receive tender comfort and care.

Scripture Meditation

 
Romans 8:14-17

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (NIV)