Many of you have had wonderful dads, but there are many others who go to sleep tonight feeling lost and uncertain as to what a father really is. To some, "father" means someone to avoid out of fear; someone who was never around; someone who criticized or condemned you, or even someone you never knew.

Tonight, God wants you to see Him as your Heavenly Father in a fresh, new light. The life of one young man I know changed overnight when he found out that God is "A father of the fatherless ..." (Psalm 68:5). Why did this passage have such an effect on him? He was not an orphan, but had always felt like one. "My father never liked me much and I was abused. I never knew what it was like to have a real dad." "...you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father'" (Romans 8:15, NKJV).

The word "Abba" means "Daddy" in the English language, and He is unlike any father you have ever known! May you soon come to know Him in this wonderful, new way.

Heavenly Father, I rejoice in the fact that every day I have the chance to learn something fresh and exciting about You. Forgive me for any bitterness or resentment I may have directed toward You. Teach me to reach out and know what it is to experience Your kingdom as a little child...a child who delights in calling out, "Abba Father!" In Jesus' Name, Amen.