Thoughts: Six times Jesus describes God as "heavenly Father" in the sermon on the mount. In the Lord's Prayer Jesus tells us we should address God as "our Father who art in heaven." In many ways this is the core of the teaching of Christ. He teaches us to trust in the love and the power of God. Jesus came in part to teach us that love is the best way and his miracles and resurrection shows us that God is able and cares to help us. The fatherhood of God is an Old Testament idea that sharply contrasts to the goddess worship of paganism.
The Father idea is that God cares for us, protects us, and provides for us as a good father would his child. He knows us by name- as a good father would know their child. God not only made us- He cares for us and extends love to us.
The heavenly father not only infers that God is in a powerful place so that He CAN help us. But He is also "heavenly" meaning that while earthly fathers may be mean and neglectful or failing- God is distinct and different from earthly fathers. But the best in earthly fathers point to the heavenly Father.
Prayer: Our Father, help me to trust in you and rely on you.
Listen to "Children of the Heavenly Father"
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