Abba, Father

Francis Chan's Crazy Love Chapter 3

"Nothing compares to being truly, exuberantly wanted by your children. . . My desire for my children is only a faint echo of God's great love for me and for every person He made. I am just an earthly, sinful father, and I love my kids so much it hurts. How could I not trust a heavenly, perfect Father who loves me infinitely more than I will ever love my kids?" (p. 55)

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him! -Matthew 7:11

"When we love God, we naturally run to Him - frequently and zealously." (p. 57) Our intimate times of prayer and study of His Word are motivated by love.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." -Matthew 22:37

"God knew me and you before we existed. . . and He designed (us) for a specific work." (pp. 58-59)

The word of the Lord came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." -Jeremiah 1:4-5

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. -Ephesians 2:10

 "The very fact that a holy, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful, merciful, fair, and just God loves you and me is nothing short of astonishing. The wildest part is that Jesus doesn't have to love us. . . The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing God treasures us. . . The irony is that while God doesn't need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but don't really want Him most of the time." (p. 61)

"If God is truly the greatest good on this earth, would He be loving us if He didn't draw us toward what is best for us (even if that happens to be Himself)? Doesn't His courting, luring, pushing, calling and even 'threatening' demonstrate His love? If He didn't do all of that, wouldn't we accuse Him of being unloving in the end, when all things are revealed?. . . The greatest good on this earth is God." (p. 62)

But an important question to ask ourselves is this: Are we in love with God or just His stuff? . . . What a beautiful gift it is to have the one you love look you in the eye and say, "I love you. Not your beauty, your money, your family, or your car. Just you." Can you say that to God? Our love for Him always comes out of His love for us. Do you love this God who is everything, or do you just love everything He gives you? Do you really know and believe that God loves you, individually and personally and intimately? Do you see and know Him as Abba, Father?" (pp. 62-63)


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