During creation, God created the first male and female. He could have continued forming man in the same way to populate the earth. However, that was not God’s plan. In Genesis 1:28 God blessed Adam and Eve and said to them, “ Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…”

In Genesis 3, we see the first mention of the birth of children. Genesis 3: 16a (NASB20), “To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall deliver children;” The word children in the Hebrew is ben. Ben means to procreate. The root word for ben is bana (bane) which means to establish family. God’s plan for Adam and Eve was for them to establish family.

As I’ve considered God’s plans for the creation of mankind, I believe God gave the institution of ‘family’ to us to demonstrate how He sees us.

God’s creation of ‘family’ gives us a visual of what our life and relationship is to be with Him and the rest of His children.

You may not have had an earthly father who had a relationship with the Heavenly Father. Your earthly experience of a father may have been one of abuse, anger, and harshness. I am here today to tell you that when you come into relationship with your Heavenly Father, you will be able to experience and understand the love of a father in a manner like you’ve never known before. You will understand the special relationship He has planned to have with you.

You may not have experienced any good earthly example of fatherhood, however, when you accept and enter into relationship with God, experientially you will know the love of your Father.

God gave us the privilege of being the vessels through which His children are born, so that we can understand how He sees us. As parents, our children need us to provide for, love, protect, teach, and discipline them so that, as they grow and mature, they become responsible adults. This is the very same relationship God, our Creator, desires to have with His children,(us).

Ephesians 2:19 reveals that we are members of God’s family, “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family.”

Then, we are told that God will be our Father. 2 Corinthians 6:18, “And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty." The word translated ‘Father’ in this verse is the Greek word pater. According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, this word means: “He is the Father of those who through Christ have been exalted to a specially close and intimate relationship with God, and who no longer dread him as the stern judge of sinners but revere him as their reconciled and loving Father.”

John 1:12 and 13 reveals “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn--not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” When we believe, He gave us that right!

Psalm 68:5 and 6a are wonderful scriptures. “Father to the fatherless, defender of widows--this is God, whose dwelling is holy. 6 God places the lonely in families… ”He is a father to the fatherless and puts the lonely in families.

Galatians 3:26, “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” This verse leaves no doubt, when you choose to have faith in Jesus, you become a child of God.

Galatians 4:5-7, “God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” Praise God, when we became children of God by accepting Christ as the Son of God and our Savior, the Father sent the Holy Spirit, who is our Helper, to live inside us! ‘Abba,’ according to Bible Hub Helps Word Studies means: Father and is the term of tender endearment by a beloved child, i.e. in an affectionate, dependent relationship with their father; “daddy” and “papa.” This is a special revelation for me, because my grandsons call me ”Papa.”

Romans 8:14-16 (ESV), “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” Here is another confirmation of the intimate relationship we have with the Father when we are sons. However, take note of the last part of these verses, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”

God is our Father and we are His children.

We discover quickly as parents in a family that those things which are essential needs for a newborn changes with toddlers, teens, and young adults. Along the way, we love, teach, train, discipline, and help our children in every way we can. We are proud of their accomplishments and delight in them as they grow and become more and more mature in their decision making and deeds. That is how God sees His children. He delights in us as we grow into His image. Step by step, God watches over us and is delighted in our positive progress. Think of how a parent responds to a child’s first word, first step, graduation, et cetera. Zephaniah 3:17 reads, “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." We also see in Psalm 149:4, “For the LORD delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory”. He delights in us, as his children, and desires that we be victorious!

Sadly, some have seen the representation of God in the Old Testament as One who is dour, hard to please, strict, ready to judge harshly, stern, and fearful. Generally, people do not see our God in the Old Testament doing everything He can to turn people’s hearts to Himself for their benefit. They see Him as ready to judge and punish, at every turn. What makes this really tragic is that this attitude has caused some to make a decision (based on a lack of knowledge) to reject getting to know their loving Father.

There is only one true God. The God of the Old Testament and New Testament is the same. However, the ‘difference’ we think we see comes about because God is Holy, Just, and Righteous.

The covenant between the Lord and the Israelites in the Old Testament (called the ‘Old Covenant’) was based on the giving of the law and the people’s obedience to it. There was a penalty that had to be paid for disobedience (sin). The Israelites were not able to live a sinless life (just as we are not able to). So, when we read the Old Testament, we see the doling out of the penalty for those sins.

In the New Testament, we read of the ‘New Covenant’ which was made with God’s people and came about because the price and penalty for sin was paid, once and for all, by the sacrifice Jesus made as the Perfect Lamb of God. He was sinless and shed His blood to pay the penalty. As God’s children living under the New Covenant, when we sin, John 1:9 (ESV) lets us know, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Also, we learn from Acts 3:19 (ESV), “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,” So, along with the confession, there needs to be repentance or a turning away from the sin.

As we read God’s Word with an open mind and receive revelation from the Holy Spirit, we find a Creator Who takes great pleasure in His creation and whose desire is to bless them as only He can.

I will finish this blog post by having us look at some of the benefits of serving a loving Father Who delights in you.

Our Heavenly Father is:

Loving - 1 John 3:1 (NIV),”See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

Kind - Ephesian 2:7 (NKJV) , “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Compassionate - Psalm 103:8 (CSB), “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.”

Merciful - Ephesians 2:4 (NKJV), “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”

Forgiving - 1 John 1:9 (KJV), “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Good - Psalm 136:1 (ESV), “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Provider - Philippians 4:19 (ESV), “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

He is Ever Present - Psalm 46:1 (NIV), “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.“

He Disciplines - Hebrews 12:10b (ESV), “but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.”

God is love. 1 John 4:8-10 reveals (KJV), “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

He does not have to choose love, He is love! All that He created, He created by love, which includes you and me! He loves you beyond your every understanding of love. He loved you enough to send His Son to die for you. God’s heart is for your very best. He rejoices when you succeed.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV), “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

God is so much more than these few Scriptures I’ve shared with you today.

God is your Father!

You are His child!

He desires a very intimate relationship with you!

He takes great delight (pleasure) in you!

1 John 4:15,16, “ All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them”

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures are taken from the New Living Translation.

NIV New International Version

NKJV New King James Version

CSB Christian Standard Bible

KJV King James Version

ESV English Standard Version