Good Morning, friends! I am so glad you are joining in on the study! If this is your first day, be sure to grab your reading guide here! Grab a cup of coffee and join us as we dive into the beloved truth in the book of 1 John.

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Reading: 1 John 2:28-3:3

When I was a little girl, I found great comfort in sitting in my daddy’s lap. My tiny little body would sink into my dad’s embrace each morning and evening. My dad still loves telling the story of how I would sleep on his tummy as a baby (and he always adds that it was because of the extra padding he had;). Even as a teenager I found great comfort in his embrace…and still sat in his lap well beyond my years of being a small little girl. No one will ever replace my father. I call him when I need wisdom. I trust him to provide for me. I ask him for help when I need it. My father is faithful and my heart knows that well.

John reveals a beautiful truth to us in his epistle to the believers. In 1 John 3:1, he calls us “children of God.” As a believer and follow of Jesus Christ, we have been adopted into the family of God and been “born of him” (verse 29). Let’s take a moment to wrap our minds around this. You and I, the sinful humans that we are, have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ (God’s own Son), and adopted into God’s family as one of his own children. This is fact. This is our identity. Our home is in Christ and our hope is in heaven.

As a child of God, we receive the privileges that every child has with their father on earth (or should have). I recognize many women have never had a father or were abused. I pray that God, as your heavenly Father, would replace any hurt you’ve had in the past and be your true Father. As a child of God, we have many privileges and responsibilities:

obey

We are to obey God. John 14:21 tells us that the ones who have the commandments of God and keeps them is the one who loves him. We prove to God our love for Him by obeying His commands and trusting His way is best. We obey because we love Him, believe Him and submit to His leadership over us. Each day we have a plethora of choices to make. Most of them we make without giving second thought to asking God what we should do. We base most of our decisions off of what other people tell us is right instead of lining up everything according to the “good, perfect and pleasing will of God” (Romans 12:2). Take a step back today and take inventory of your life. In what areas are you being disobedient to the ways of God. What has God called you to be obedient in?

ask

Prayer is asking, seeking and knocking (Matthew 7:7-11). Because we believe God is our Father who can do anything and holds all things, we ask Him questions and for our needs to be answered. Because we believe God is everything that we will ever need, we seek Him and His help more than the help of man. Because we believe God is willing to answer us and open up the door to His presence, we knock faithfully each day through prayer. As a child, I would “ask” my father for help (especially in math!), “seek” him for guidance (because he saw things more clearly), and “knock” on his door when I needed him (because he always let me in).

Not only that, we have a special privilege as children of God to have an intimate relationship with our Father. Romans 8:15 says that because we are God’s children we can cry out to him “Abba, Father” and He hears us. The Hebrew word used to describe “Abba” is that of an intimate relationship with a Father. It is the customary title used of God by Jesus Christ when He prayed. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood knowing that He was about to be tortured to death for us, He prayed to “Abba”. Abba is the God who is near to us, who hears us, who loves us unconditionally, who adopted us, who answers us, who provides for us and who calls us to him. We are to pray to “Abba, Father” just as Christ prayed to the Father.

receive

As a child of God, we also receive good gifts from our Father. The beauty and mystery of this truth is, these gifts often look different than what we would expect. When I was in middle school, I committed my singleness to the Lord. I promised God I would wait to date anyone until I knew that He made it clear I would marry them. Thus began years of me “asking, seeking and knocking” through the doors of prayer that God would send my husband. Years went by and there was no answer. I was still single. Throughout college and after graduation…still no answer. At the time I felt like God was withholding a “good gift” from me, but it wasn’t until I met my husband that I fully understood how my single years were the gift of God. His gifts are greater than we could imagine. We need His vision to help us see His goodness in everything, and we get this vision through being thankful in all things.

1 John 3:2 reminds us of the hope that we have to one day be with our Father and see Him face to face. Not only will we see Him, but we will be like Him. Oh how I long for that day! I can’t imagine what it will be like, but I anticipate the greatness of the gift and nearness of His presence. This is our hope and this is our longing – to be in the presence of Abba, Father forever.

Sister, you are a child of God. You have the privilege to come before Him, sit in His presence each day, listen to Him speak through His Word and watch Him do marvelous things. But as His child, you will also be disciplined and directed by His love (Hebrews 12:16). May we accept all things as “good gifts” from God, knowing that He loves us, does what is best for us and will never leave us. Our Abba is abundantly good and exceedingly faithful. Live as a daughter of God.

sitting at Abba’s feet,

Gretchen