Love Letter
“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.”
Psalm 100 (New Living Translation)
This post is a broken alabaster jar spilling out the most expensive perfume—a genuine heart-pouring to my Abba.
Let me start with who my Abba is: Elohim of elohim. He’s the Lord of lords and King of kings. He is the Lord of Hosts, the Commander of Heaven’s armies. He is strong and mighty. He is the King of Glory. There is no other god like Him. He stands alone.
He is the most beautiful. He is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the Author and the Finisher. He is faithful and true. He is compassionate. He is full of mercy. He is gracious. He loves unconditionally. His love is unfailing. His love endures forever. He is just. He is good. He is trustworthy. He is righteous.
He holds all power in His right hand. He watches over all of creation. He is the Creator. He spoke land and sea into existence. He is the All-Sufficient One. He sits above all powers. Crowns are being thrown at His feet 24/7 by the elders and living creatures in the Heavenly throne room. He is triumphant. He is great and greatly to be praised.
He is Master. He is to be feared above all gods and deserving of awestruck wonder. He is worthy of all honor. He is worthy of complete devotion. He is worthy of complete loving admiration. He is majestic. He is glorious. He is awesome in wonder. His name alone demands reverence. He is immutable. He is consistent through generations. He is eternal. He is holy.
He is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals. He is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. He is Jehovah Nissi, the victorious Lord—our banner in battle. He is Jehovah Shalom, the Lord of peace. He is Jehovah M'Kaddesh, the Lord who sanctifies. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, the Lord our Righteousness. He is Jehovah Shammah, the Lord who is there. He is Jehovah-Tsuri, the Lord our Rock.
He is El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty. He is El Elyon, the Most High God. He is El Olam, the Everlasting God. He is El Chay, the living god. He is El Roi, the God who sees. He is El Deah, the God of Knowledge. He is Attiyq Youm, the Ancient of Days.
He created humanity to be in fellowship with Him. He took His time in creating them, molding them together with His own hands. His fingerprints mark their innermost being. He molded them in His image so they would forever know their true origin. He knows them by name. He knows their comings and goings. He knew them before their mothers knew them. He chose the very families that would raise them. He has providentially written their stories.
He gave them purpose. He gave them talents. He gives wisdom and divine insight. He sees and records their every tear. He delights in intimacy with His children. His thoughts concerning them are precious and they outnumber all the individual grains of sand on earth.
He is a defender—an avenger. He satisfies their deepest longings with living water and daily bread. He inspired a 1,189-chapter-long love letter so His children would know Him. He gifted them with His Spirit so they would understand Him. He draws His children close to His heart. He speaks to each one uniquely; according to how they listen. He considers their prayers the sweetest incense. He withholds no good thing from them.
He shepherds His children and guides them on the best path. He illuminates their footsteps. He protects them with His rod and staff. He captures all their enemies. He leaves the flock of ninety-nine to chase after the one. Every single sheep is accounted for. He dresses His children in royal garments—covering their shame with a cloak of righteousness and grafting them in with a signet ring. He anoints the heads of His children with oil—setting them apart for His glory.
He gives His children peace that surpasses all understanding and unspeakable joy. He is their strength. He is their place of safety. He is a fortress to those who choose to hide in Him.
The Father gave humanity Jesus for their sins to be cleansed. Jesus, the manifestation of glory and the Word made flesh, would be the answer to the sins of Adam that separated the Father from His children. Jesus would descend from the Heavens and tabernacle amongst us.
For the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross and ignored its shame. The joy of reconciliation with the Father was far greater than the pain of having chunks of His beard plucked out. The joy of reconciliation with the Father was far greater than the pain of flagrum lashes. The joy of reconciliation with the Father was far greater than the pain of nails in His hands and feet. The joy of reconciliation with the Father was far greater than the pain of a crown of thorns. The joy of reconciliation with the Father was far greater than the pain of disfigurement.
The joy of knowing that future generations would simply have the option to know His Heavenly Father made the cross worth it.
Relationship with the Father is worth far more than life.
The only time Jesus cried out pain was when He felt the Father forsake Him. He endured the pain of being forsaken so the Father’s children would never have to.
He considered separation the greatest pain of all.
The ransom would be paid and the adoption papers would be signed by the blood of Jesus—a beautiful rescue mission orchestrated by the Father on our behalf.
This God, my Abba, has a name. His name is Yahweh.
It is through love expressed in sacrifice that He became my Abba.
“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:15-16)
To my Abba,
You are the One I love. You are the One I adore. I couldn’t have sought You on my own. I couldn’t have known that I needed You. You offered Yourself to me before I came to be on this side of eternity. You offered Yourself to me before I had an understanding of the divine.
Thank You, Abba, for being my Savior.
I’ve lived a sinful life. I was headed down a path of total destruction. I didn’t honor my body as Your temple. I didn’t recognize the power of my words. I was ignorant of Your precepts. I didn’t understand who I was created in likeness of. I also didn’t value who I was created in likeness of. I was drowning in anxiety, overtaken by fear and shame. I lived in complete darkness—seeking light in places it didn’t exist. I’ve chased after the desires of my deceptive heart. I’ve bowed to idols. I’ve scorned Your grace and made a mockery of Your mercies.
Thank You, Abba, for being my Redeemer.
I’ve never known a love like this. You not only carry my burdens, You also carry me. You meet me in the secret place and whisper words of life. My emotions are never too much for You. Rather, You encourage me to be honest with You—even about things I’m fearful to be honest with myself about. You’re always there when I need You. You do life with me. You hold me together. You correct me. You hold me accountable. You help me learn from my mistakes. You convict me lovingly. You always know what I need, even before I need it. You prepare me for every season. The movement of Your sovereign hand always includes my good. You bring renewal, restoration, and revival to my life. You are the only One I can put all of my faith in. You are perfect in all of Your ways. You are a firm foundation. You comfort me. I’ve investigated Your character and have come to the absolute conclusion that You can be trusted. You are what I build my life on.
Thank You, Abba, for being my Friend.
Thank You for healing my childhood wounds. Thank You for reminding me of my worth and value. Thank You for never being absent. You made me a promise that You would never leave or abandon me. I don’t have to earn Your love. You never expect me to strive. Rather, You’ve promised me rest. You’re proud of me and You remind me through Your word. You consider me to be beautiful— a masterpiece. It’s Your blood running through my veins. It’s Your breath in my lungs. Even if my earthly parents reject me, You never will. You’ve prepared a place for me in Heaven so that this love can continue for all eternity.
Thank You, Abba, for being my Father.
This year, I’ve come to a deeper understanding of what it means to have a Heavenly Father. To be able to call the Creator of the Universe—a holy God— your Abba is an honor that can’t be put into words.
This love letter isn’t long enough.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to write a love letter long enough. There aren’t enough words in any language to convey the depth of gratitude in my heart.
Despite the past, I know that my Father has always been good. Even as I endure through present realities, I know that my Father is good. As I await the unknown, I know that my Father will always be good.
If you would like to know this God as Abba but haven’t first made a decision for Christ, pray the prayer below with a genuine heart:
“God, thank you for the opportunity to know You. Sin separated me from You but You had a plan. You sent Jesus to the cross on my behalf. He was crucified for my sins so I would be able to be reconciled to You and call You, “Abba, Father.” I accept Jesus’ sacrifice and decide to make Him my Savior. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I’m deciding to also make Him my Lord. I want to experience communion with You. I want to be considered Your child. I want You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”
