For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Ab-ba. Listen to a baby and you will hear these basic early sounds. Incredibly, Jesus showed us, and the Spirit enables us, to speak to God with these basic-to-a-baby syllables of familiarity, trust, vulnerability, dependency, and intimacy. The Spirit is our guarantee that we don't have to be afraid of God. We must revere him and hold him in awe, but we can also approach him as our loving and tender Father who always listens to our hearts and seeks to bless our lives.
Video Commentary...
We've included Phil's ToGather video from four years ago as an added blessing to our verse today:
Abba Father, you are glorious and majestic. Your deeds are marvelous. Your power, O Lord, is unfathomable. Your grace, Almighty God, is incomparable. Thank you for allowing me to approach you as my always near and ever-present Abba. I seek your nearness in my life today through the help of the Holy Spirit. I pray that I will live for your glory and honor through the strength and in the name of Jesus, my Lord. Amen.
"[Jesus continued addressing the Jewish leaders:] "In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the [Baptizer], and his testimony about me was..."
"When we get our spiritual house in order, we'll be dead. This goes on. You arrive at enough certainty to be able to make your way, but it is making it in..."
"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through..."
"[Stephen, in his defense before the council, emphasized how the Jewish ancestors had turned against Moses during their time in the Sinai wilderness:]...."
About This Devotional
Today's Verse is a free daily devotional that includes a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.
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