The Blessed Call

Romans 8:15b-16
When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

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If life gets hard to understand
And your whole life is way out of hand
Come to Poppa
Come see your poppa

"Come to Poppa" by Earl Randle and Willie Mitchell recorded by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullit Band on "Night Moves"

The days are tough, they're absolutely crazy, and they have been since the first cavemen wondered if they would get enough game to last the winter. The only difference between then and now is that we don't have to hunt and everything's a lot faster. But here's the promise, no matter how tough things are, God is there. We are used to the phrasing of "God the Father," but there's a difference between that and "Abba," a wonderful difference.

"Abba" is the ancient Aramaic equivalent of the American English word "Daddy." In Ireland they would say "Da." "Poppa" is another way this could be said. The difference is an innocent lack of formality. It's a word that is not formal, it's not "father" it's "daddy."

When we cry out "Abba" we put ourselves before the Lord like children, dependent for all things. Yet we aren't coming as beggars, we come as sons and daughters. We come not out of honor or because the father is the patriarch. We come to "Daddy" out of love and joy.

We jump into the outstretched arms of the Lord.

Abba is our blessed call to God. This is how we come to the Lord when life gets way out of hand, coming with love and joy and confidence. Thankfully, that's just how God wants us to come.

Nothing and No One

Philippians 2:19-24

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I may be cheered by news of you. I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But Timothy’s worth you know, how like a son with a father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope therefore to send him as soon as I see how things go with me; and I trust in the Lord that I will also come soon.

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'cause nothing compares
nothing compares to you

"Nothing Compares 2 U" by Prince recorded by Sinéad O'Connor

Paul wrote this letter from Rome where he was imprisoned for the ruckus he raised in Jerusalem. By the time of this writing he had been imprisoned for two years. Prison in ancient Rome is not like America today. In Paul's situation, he was responsible for providing for his own expenses. The better the money, the better his prison experience. This is why churches supported him while he was in prison. In about 62AD, the Philippians sent a man named Epaphroditus to Rome with the church's support. Paul sent him back with this epistle.

In the letter, Paul praised the worth of his fellow traveler Timothy. Timothy was a good friend and a confidant. They were like father and son on the road together. Mentor and protégé. To Paul, no one compared to Timothy.

In our lives, we have a father figure, God the Father. There are many whose father did not give them good gifts. These are victims of abuse and violence. They are victims of emotional and physical terror. These are people who when they are told of "God the Father" have no idea what a good father is like. These are people who may reject the message of the triune God because of an earned bias against fathers in general.

The good news is that there is no one on Earth who compares to God; Father, Son, or Spirit. Nothing compares to the Lord who gives good gifts. Nothing compares to the Lord who gave us his Son to mend a relationship humanity broke to begin with.

Nothing compares to the Lord who sent his Son and who will send his Son again. We cannot know the day or the time, but with confidence in the word of the Father we can say the Son will return.

Paul promises he will return to Philippi. This was a promise he could not keep. But the promise of new life from the Father of us all, this is a promise kept. Nothing compares to the Father who promises eternal presence.