Abba, Father

Reading : Romans 8:1-17

God’s family Circle

All who follow the leading of God’s Spirit are God’s own children.

Romans 8:14 

Lent is a season for coming back to God with honesty, humility, and hope. Paul reminds us that we do not come as condemned people, but as those made alive in Christ. He says that “no condemnation now hangs over the head of those who are ‘in’ Jesus Christ,” because the new life of the Spirit lifts us out of the old circle of sin and death.  That is where this devotion begins: not with dread, but with grace. If we are in Christ, then Jesus is not far from us. By His Spirit He is living in us, strengthening us, and drawing us toward the Father.

Paul’s language about adoption is especially tender. We are not meant to fall back into fear, but to know that we have been brought into “the very family circle of God,” so that we can say, “Father, my Father.”  Lent invites us to let that truth sink deep into our hearts. We may not always feel secure, but the Spirit confirms inwardly that we really are God’s children. We no longer stand outside the door, wondering if we belong. In Christ, we are welcomed, loved, and led.

Yet Paul also tells us that if we share Christ’s life, we will also share His sufferings before we share fully in His glory.  The road to seeing God face to face is the road Jesus Himself walked: surrender, obedience, and costly love. But it is not a lonely road. The Spirit of Christ is with us now. He is working in us, helping us live as true sons and daughters of God. So this Lent we walk forward with courage. The Father we hope one day to see face to face is already drawing us into His family, shaping us by His Spirit, and preparing us for glory.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that in Christ we no longer live in condemnation or fear. Thank You for bringing us into Your family and giving us Your Spirit to lead us. In this Lenten season, teach us to walk in trust, to bear the cost of following Jesus, and to live as Your beloved children, until the day when faith becomes sight and we see You face to face. Amen.