Friday: Further Study: Our Loving Heavenly Father
Further Study: Ellen G. White, A Personal God, pages 263-278, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8.
In order to strengthen our confidence in God, Christ teaches us to address Him by a new name, a name entwined with the dearest associations of the human heart. He gives us the privilege of calling the infinite God our Father. This name, spoken to Him and of Him, is a sign of our love and trust toward Him, and a pledge of His regard and relationship to us. Spoken when asking His favor or blessing, it is as music in His ears. That we might not think it presumption to call Him by this name, He has repeated it again and again. He desires us to become familiar with the appellation.
God regards us as His children. He has redeemed us out of the careless world and has chosen us to become members of the royal family, sons and daughters of the heavenly King. He invites us to trust in Him with a trust deeper and stronger than that of a child in his earthly father. Parents love their children, but the love of God is larger, broader, deeper, than human love can possibly be. It is immeasurable. — Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, pages 141-142.
Our heavenly Father has expressed his love for us individually in the cross of Calvary. The Father loves us, he is full of compassion and tender mercy. — Ellen G. White, The Signs of the Times®, September 30, 1889.
Discussion Questions:
- If someone tells you that he or she has difficulties in loving God and trusting in Him as a heavenly Father because of bad experiences with an earthly father, how could you help this person to love God and have confidence in Him?
- We know God loves us. Why, then, is there suffering?
- As a class, go over your answers to Thursday’s final question.
- Think about the incredible size of the universe. Think, too, that the One who created it, Jesus, was the same One who died for us on the cross. How do we wrap our minds around this incredibly hopeful news? How can we learn to rejoice, moment by moment, in this incredible revelation of God’s love?
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It is comforting to know that Gods love is everlasting, all we need to do is trust him.In my opinion, this trust comes when we pray to him each day and seek his advise in all things big and small. As the days pass,our trust in God will increase to the point where it will become a reflex action to speak to Him when we are happy or sad.